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The primary reason why I visited Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, was to learn more about sherry and go sherry tasting. I’d previously gone port tasting in Porto, so I wanted to have a similar experience with sherry tasting in Jerez.
I went in knowing very little about sherry. But thanks to the excellent sherry bodega tours I took, I came away not only having tasted some of the best sherries in the world, but also having learned about the various styles and production methods of sherry.
While you can find sherry at bars all around Jerez, I recommend starting out with a sherry tour at one (or more!) of the city’s bodegas. These tours will walk you through the whole production process from grape to barrel to bottle. Each tour is a little bit different, so I’ve detailed below what I particularly enjoyed about each sherry tasting experience.
Book sherry tours in Jerez here
I also visited a variety of sherry bars and restaurants in Jerez. They’re a great way to better acquaint yourself with the drink every evening.
Book your hotel in Jerez now!If you’re staying in Sevilla, don’t worry. There are sherry tour day trips available.
What is Sherry?
Sherry is a fortified wine. It ranges in strength from 15 to 22% ABV, depending on the producer and the style.
The range of varieties of sherry is much broader than is the case with port. Most notably, the level of sugar in sherry can vary greatly, from the least sweet Fino variety to the sweetest Pedro Ximenez.
The aging methods also differ between some types of sherry. Some varieties, such as Fino and Manzanilla, use a special yeast layer called “flor” to prevent the sherry from oxidizing. Other varieties allow for different amounts of oxidation.
Each sherry bodega will have a sample barrel where you can see the layer of flor inside.
In all cases, sherry doesn’t have a specific production year. This is because of the unique solera production system. With this method, stacked barrels are partially refilled with the sherry from the barrels above, which means that some amount of the liquid inside is potentially decades old.
At a minimum, sherry has been solera-aged for two years. However, you can find specialty sherries called VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum) and VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum) that have been aged for an average of at least 20 years or 30 years, respectively. I highly recommend trying some of these sherries, but only after you’ve first tried regular varieties. It’s tough to go back once you get a taste of the expensive stuff!
Only sherry produced in the Sherry Triangle, a region of Cádiz in Andalusia, Spain, that encompasses the area between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María, can be called sherry. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry is a protected designation of origin under Spanish and European law.
That’s a quick summary, but as I mentioned above, there’s a lot to learn about sherry. I’ll let you find out more of those details yourself when you go on a Jerez sherry tour.
One way to get a nice introduction to Jerez is to take a tour. Check out these excellent tour options & book now!
Jerez Sherry Tasting Tips
Book Tours Ahead of Time
While you might be lucky enough to walk into a sherry bodega at the right time for a tour and tasting, chances are that particular winery might only be offering a limited number of sherry tours each day, especially in your desired language.
Be sure to book tours ahead of time for any of the Jerez sherry bodegas you especially want to try. Then you can also build a schedule that will let you try multiple places.
Book Jerez sherry tours and tastings here
Try a Variety of Different Tastings
Sherry tastings are a fantastic way to try the full range of sherry types.
By going on multiple tours, you can try all of them, as not every bodega will offer every variety as part of their tour. This way you can find out which types of sherry you like the most, since the range from Fino to Pedro Ximenez is so broad.
That said, given the time each tour takes plus the nature of drinking, don’t expect to be able to do more than a couple of tours each day, so budget your schedule accordingly.
Once you’ve gotten an idea of what the regular sherries are like, splurge if you can. Rather than doing another introductory tour, opt for one of the higher-end sherry tastings that allow you to try some VOS and VORS bottles.
Consider the Weather
The cellars at each sherry bodega are intentionally designed to remain cool, even during the hot summer months in Andalusia. The windows of the buildings face the coast to allow breezes and humidity to get inside.
Consider booking a tour and tasting during the warmer parts of the day so you can have somewhere cooler to hang out.
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Additionally, many tours visit multiple buildings at a particular Jerez sherry winery, so it’s not as ideal of a rainy day activity as you might think.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
Related to the above, your Jerez sherry tour may include a 5-15 minute walk between different buildings owned by the bodega. Wear comfortable shoes that allow you to handle this walk easily.
Sherry cellars in Jerez also have dirt floors, so you might want to leave your nice shoes (especially white ones!) back at your hotel.
Drink Water and Eat Food
As I mentioned above, sherry is strong. Each sherry is between 15%-22% ABV. While each pour might seem small, a typical sherry tasting will include 3-5 glasses, and some bodegas might also have some brandy or other liqueur to try as well.
Couple that with hot weather, and it’s easy to indulge too much. Be sure to drink as much water as possible, and eat a good meal before you go sherry tasting in Jerez. Some bodegas will offer some small snacks to pair with your sherry, but it’s not enough to keep you from feeling the effects of the drinks.
The Best Sherry Bodegas for Sherry Tasting in Jerez
I visited several different sherry bodegas for tours and tastings when I was in Jerez. Each one is a little bit different.
Below, you’ll find the sherry cellars I visited, along with what I liked (and in some cases liked less) about each one.
Hopefully, you can find the perfect tour that meets what you’re looking for from a sherry experience.
Bodegas Gonzalez Byass
Bodegas Gonzalez Byass are the makers of the famous Tio Pepe sherry. If you’ve been to Puerta del Sol in Madrid, you’ve seen their massive neon sign overlooking the square.
The winery, which was founded in 1835, is one of the larger and more corporate sherry makers in Jerez.
As you might expect from that, their tours have much larger groups. When I visited, there were 54 people who had shown up for the tour, since it was the only English-speaking tour that day. We were split into two groups to make the tour more manageable.
That said, the tour still provides a good overview of sherry production and tasting for those who either might not be able to make the schedule of a different tour or don’t want to go as in-depth, plus it’s the most beautiful winery.
Stepping through the gated entrance onto the Gonzalez Byass grounds feels like stepping into a botanical garden. While many other producers just have buildings, the complex is filled with flowers and trees.
Bodegas Gonzalez Byass offers a variety of tour options that include different tastings. I opted for the Sip by Sip Tour, which included four sherries.
Jesus, our tour guide, started off leading us to the pavilion with flags of all the nations Bodegas Gonzalez Byass exports to.
This pavilion was designed by Gustavo Eiffel, who also designed the Jerez Féria buildings on the festival grounds. This stop allowed everyone to get a quick photo with the flag of their country.
From there, we took a motorized train around the bodega grounds. It’s a huge place with lots of great photo opportunities, with pretty buildings and old equipment.
We stopped in the sherry cellar, then the distillery room, before being taken back to another cellar space. Gonzalez Byass also has event spaces as well as a restaurant. One cellar room had barrels dedicated to prominent visitors. The sherry maker is popular with celebrities.
And also mice. The bodega famously offers sherry to local rodents.
We then headed to the massive tasting room, but not before passing another local landmark. The tree lined cobblestone street that leads between Bodegas Gonzalez Byass and the Jerez Cathedral was named by the New York Times as one of the 10 most beautiful streets in the world.
The tour took about an hour and 10 minutes before reaching the tasting room, where I tried Tio Pepe Fino, Alfonso Oloroso Seco, a Croft Fino spritz, and a Solera Cream, along with some nuts and crackers.
Then it was time to exit through the gift shop, where Gonzalez Byass sells everything from bottles of sherry to dog leashes.
While a more corporate tour and tasting session might be off-putting to some, the beauty of the Bodegas Gonzalez Byass grounds is unparalleled. If you’re visiting multiple sherry bodegas in Jerez, it’s one you should definitely consider.
Book a Bodegas Gonzalez Byass sherry tour and tasting here
Bodegas Tradición
Bodegas Tradición is one of the oldest Jerez sherry producers. It’s also one of the smaller properties, making for more intimate tours that are a unique experience.
The tour and tasting is one of the more expensive ones, but it’s well worth the price. Not only are the tours in smaller groups, but there are also some high-quality bottles that are part of the tasting.
Bodegas Tradición is located just inside the old city walls of Jerez. Like many local buildings, it has white and yellow walls. The nice entryway had a patio topped with grapevines along with some old equipment.
We started our tour in the cellars. These were built back in the 17th century, although the bodega itself was refounded in 1998.
Back in the 60s through the 80s, the quality of the sherry industry was low. The popularity of the drink dropped, so many bodegas closed, including theirs. It was only in more recent decades that there has been a greater appreciation of drinks such as sherry.
We saw a siphon system set up on display. Not all sherry producers still use this, only the smaller ones.
We also learned about the info system that’s used to write on barrels in chalk. It keeps records simplified and understandable for the winemakers.
Finally, it was time for our tasting on the patio. We got to taste five different sherries, along with local Payoyo cheese, meat, nuts, almonds, and breadsticks.
Fino is not usually my favorite style, but the 10-year Fino from Bodegas Tradición was the best I had. It was light and smooth.
I also enjoyed the 30-year Amontillado. Our guide recommended it with mojama, the local delicacy of dried tuna. I kept this in mind for when I visited some of the sherry bars in Jerez.
We also had a nice and complex Oloroso, a Cream, and a Pedro Ximenez that was sweet and syrupy, pouring like motor oil. It would be great with a dessert or blue cheese.
We sipped these final glasses while we walked around the other unique part of the Bodegas Tradición tour.
Not only is it an active sherry bodega, but it’s also an art gallery. The gallery contains works from Picasso, El Greco, and Goya. There are 60 paintings on display from a collection of over 300.
The tour and tasting took about 90 minutes total.
If you are able to do just one sherry tour and tasting in Jerez and you have the budget, I highly recommend Bodegas Tradición.
Book Bodegas Tradición tours and tastings here
Bodegas Fundador
Bodegas Fundador is one of the most famous sherry producers in Jerez. You will likely recognize their brand name, Harvey’s. They are also more known for their brandy production than other Jerez wineries.
In fact, the tours and tastings at Bodegas Fundador are unique in that the tastings also include at least one brandy. You can even do a tasting that is entirely brandy, though the strength of those might be a bit much for anyone who isn’t already a massive brandy fan.
My tour was bilingual in English and Spanish. This happens with some sherry tours in Jerez. The repetition of information can lead to a bit of a longer tour, or less information being provided. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know if your tour will be bilingual.
Our group consisted of about 15 people. We started outside in the garden, but then after a short introduction, we headed to some of the other Fundador buildings, passing the old city wall that forms part of the winery boundary.
The Bodegas Fundador tour has the most walking out of any sherry tour in Jerez. Keep this in mind if the weather is hot or if you have any mobility issues. The walking also lengthens the tour, making it the longest one I did, at about 90 minutes.
Our destination was the Bodega de La Mezquita, so called because the building resembles the one in Cordoba, with its curving arches.
This massive building smells of wine and has a capacity of 40,000 barrels.
These barrels are first used for sherry, then for brandy, then shipped to Scotland for use in whisky making. If you’ve ever had sherry oak cask whisky such as Macallan, the barrel came from Jerez.
While this massive building is impressive, there’s not much else on the Bodegas Fundador tour that makes it stand out from others in the city.
We then walked back to the main office building for our sherry and brandy tasting.
I had opted for the tasting of three sherries and one brandy. One Fino, one Oloroso, one Bristol Cream, and then Brandy Gran Reserva.
Harvey’s Bristol Cream is their most famous sherry. It’s actually a blend of four different sherries. It was served on the rocks with orange.
It was different from the other ways I’d tasted sherry, but it was quite delicious.
The brandy was nice, but also pretty strong. I’m not sure how anyone could do a tasting of more than one of them due to that strength, but that option is available.
Book Bodegas Fundador tours and tastings here
Bodegas Lustau
If you take the Bodegas Lustau, I recommend getting there a little bit early. It has the nicest waiting area of any sherry bodega in Jerez. There’s a small museum that outlines the company’s history, including some items such as old photos and labels. There are also bottles showing all of the sherry styles from light to dark.
Bodegas Lustau moved from an old part of Jerez to a newer place in 2000. The cathedral-style buildings of the cellars help to keep the warm air high. Additionally, the dirt floor is wetted a minimum of once per week (2x-3x weekly during the hot summer months).
You may also spot spiderwebs in many of the sherry cellars. These are actually a good sign, as the spiders help protect the wood casks from flies.
Our tour guide started us out with a glass of Amontillado as a welcome drink. None of the other sherry tours did this. It was a welcome change and meant that our tasting was spread out through the tour. If you’ve sometimes felt yourself wanting a drink right away as you walk through a wine tour (I know I do), the Bodegas Lustau tour is the tour for you.
The tour continued around the cellars. We learned more sherry facts and then tasted a Manzanilla, which is less common in sherry tours. I liked this sherry. It was slightly salty thanks to having been near the sea in Sanlucar. We later tasted a Fino and an Oloroso.
As was the case when I was on port tours in Porto, I like how the various sherry tours in Jerez are all at least slightly different in some way. They may focus on different aspects of production, incorporate different tastings, or be structured in a different way. This means you can do multiple tours and not feel like you’re repeating the same experience over and over.
The next-to-last stop was in the sacristy, where the oldest wines are kept, including the VOS. It’s decorated with the 50-something countries Lustau exports to. Here we tried Moscatel.
Finally, we headed to the Lustau shop, where there was one bonus taste waiting for us. The bodega is also famous for its vermouth, which features orange and coriander. It was lovely served on the rocks, but it would also make an excellent cocktail ingredient.
I enjoyed the Bodegas Lustau tour for a few reasons. One, it covered some different topics of sherry production. I also liked doing the tasting while the tour went on, which was great not only for getting to try a drink right away, but it also meant that the overall tour and tasting only took about 75 minutes, making it one of the fastest tours in Jerez.
Book Bodegas Lustau tours and tastings here
Bodegas Cayetano del Pino
The Bodegas Cayetano Del Pino tour starts in the gift shop. There are, of course, bottles available for sale, but most uniquely, the bodega sells posters and postcards of their unique marketing posters, of which there are over 500 in total. They make for a unique souvenir if you’re looking to take something home.
This tour was the first sherry tour that I did in Jerez. It was a good choice as a first tour, as it was the most detailed I took. That might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed learning as much as possible right off the bat.
Our tour guide switched back and forth between English and Spanish, explaining how the sherry maker focuses on quality rather than quantity, choosing to specialize in just a few sherry styles rather than producing the whole spectrum.
The visitor center and tasting room are new, having opened in December 2023. We watched a short video (presented either in Spanish with English subtitles or the other way around, depending on the makeup of the tour group). It had a ton of information about the sherry-making process as well as the rules required for sherry to officially be called sherry.
After the video, we were able to peruse a series of detailed exhibits that were in both English and Spanish. One section was about the history of the winery and sherry making, while the other was about sherry production. Between the video and these displays, you can learn pretty much everything you’d want to know about sherry.
It was then time for the tasting, which included four sherries (Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, and Cream), along with nuts and potato chips.
Overall, I enjoyed the tasting, plus the information on the tour made Bodegas Cayetano Del Pino an excellent first stop in Jerez.
Book Bodegas Cayetano Del Pino tours and tastings here
Bodegas Diez Merito
The Bodegas Diez Merito property includes small cellars interspersed with orange tree-covered patios. It’s a nice facility. They produce sherry, brandy, and vinegar.
Most Jerez bodegas require you to pay in advance, which means selecting which tasting you do ahead of time. Bodegas Diez Merito is unique in that you can decide which tasting you want once the tour is done. Tours need to be booked via email.
Our tour guide, Maria, was great. Our group was small, so she was very responsive to questions.
Despite this being the last sherry tour I did in Jerez, I still learned new things. For example, barrel transfers are only done a couple of times a year (around November or March), which means if you time it right, you might be able to see the process on a tour.
Additionally, brandy barrels are checked during the year to see how much evaporation has taken place using a special stick that uses an old measurement known as an arroba. One arroba is 16.6 liters. As I had walked around various bodega cellars, I had seen chalk markings with numbers on barrels. These markings show the number of arrobas in a barrel.
We also saw the sacristy room, blending tanks, drying mats, and old bottling and weight systems. Sherry was originally sold by weight, not by the liter.
After the tour, which took about an hour, it was time for the tasting. Since it was my last day in Jerez and the final sherry tasting, I decided to splurge for the more expensive VORS tasting. I was glad I did.
In addition to the VORS sherries, Maria also gave me small tastes of the regular variations so I could compare. As one might expect, the VORS was far more complex. It was nice being able to compare them both to get a greater appreciation for the older sherries.
I tried the Amontillado, Oloroso, Pedro Jimenez, and Marques del Merito, which is a brandy.
All were some of the best that I had in Jerez. Between the great tasting and informative, but laid-back tour, Bodegas Diez Merito was one of my favorite sherry tours.
Book Bodegas Diez Merito tours and tastings here via email
Bodegas Álvaro Domecq
Bodegas Álvaro Domecq is another prominent sherry producer in Jerez. Dr. Álvaro Domecq was also the founder of the Royal School of Horses, tying together two of the favorite things to do in Jerez.
The bodega is a fairly small facility, so it’s easy to tour from building to building. The meeting point is inside the event space that also hosts the Álvaro Domecq bar and wine shop. Tapestries cover the walls, making the hall feel medieval. A pretty courtyard outside is lined with flowering plants in the springtime.
Our tour started out in the cellar, where we watched a video about the history of the winery, horse dancing, and their other products. In addition to sherry, Bodegas Álvaro Domecq also produces brandy and vinegar.
There were about a dozen people on the tour, which was in both English and Spanish since there was a small group from Mallorca. Unfortunately, they all started talking to each other each time the tour guide would start speaking in English.
Please don’t do this! Whatever the languages, whatever the type of tour you’re doing, if you’re on a multilingual tour, please have some respect for the other people in your group who are trying to listen, especially if they’ve been quiet when your language was being spoken.
In between their interruptions, I managed to learn a few more facts about winemaking in Jerez. The Phoenicians brought wine to the area in 600 BC. Long before that, the land had been submerged for millions of years, leaving behind perfect soil for vineyards. The white soil of the area helps retain humidity to grow the grapes.
We next visited the brandy bodega. The brandy ages in sherry casks, which can absorb up to 15 liters of the brandy. Different casks provide different flavor profiles.
Then it was time to learn about the third main product of Jerez: vinegar. This room definitely smelled of vinegar. So much so that our tour guide warned anyone who might be sensitive to the smell.
Bodegas Álvaro Domecq produced the first aged vinegars in Jerez. Vinegar occurs when bacteria does a 2nd fermentation of wine. The alcohol becomes an acid.
The final room of the tour was filled with tools used in the production of various products.
The tour at Bodegas Álvaro Domecq covered the production of multiple products, so it took a bit longer than some other places. The ticket had said it would be 90 minutes total, but it was 75 minutes when we finished the tour part. Then it was time for the sherry tasting.
We tasted three sherries: Fino, Oloroso, and Cream, which were served with potato chips and nuts.
At first, I was disappointed that brandy and vinegar were not included as part of the tasting. However, if you go over to the shop portion of the building, the staff are more than happy to give you samples of both. It makes sense that these aren’t part of a full tasting, as not everyone will be interested in them.
Book Bodegas Álvaro Domecq tours and tastings here
Bodegas Dios Baco
The tour at Bodegas Dios Baco was the fastest one I took in Jerez, leaving more time for the tasting.
We started with an overview of the company’s history in their museum. In addition to sherry, Bodegas Dios Baco was one of the first companies in the area to produce ice cubes. And also pencils. So they’re a popular place if you’re a writer who likes to drink.
Today, the current winery focuses on quality, not volume. We learned about their production and toured the cellars. If you visit pretty much any sherry cellar in Jerez, you’ll spot barrels that are signed by prominent visitors.
Bodegas Dios Baco has a barrel where all of their visitors can sign in chalk and get a photo taken. Sure, it’s not as permanent as what the important people get, but it’s a fun addition to the tour.
Then it was time to head to their main room for the tasting, which consisted of five sherries.
While we sipped our sherry, there were workers rolling in new barrels. It was cool to get to see some of the work in action, since most of the other sherry bodegas were quiet when we visited.
Book Bodegas Dios Baco tours and tastings here via email
Other Sherry Bodegas in Jerez
There are a few other sherry producers in Jerez.
Sandeman is a name that port fans will also recognize. It’s one of the biggest names in port in Porto. Unfortunately, their bodega was closed for maintenance when I visited.
Bodegas Fernando de Castilla only takes tour requests by email. They never responded to my email, so I don’t think their tours are scheduled on a regular basis.
Bodegas Luis Pérez is a newer spot outside of town that opened in 2002.
The Best Sherry Bars & Restaurants in Jerez
Once you’ve gone sherry tasting at the Jerez bodegas during the daytime, your day isn’t done. Fortunately, Jerez has many excellent sherry bars and restaurants where you can continue to have fun.
There are plenty of great sherry bars known as tabancos where you can hang out. Some offer entertainment such as live music and flamenco dancing. You can drink a variety of sherries right from the barrel. Prices tend to be cheap, so you can sample more styles you might not have had at a tasting.
There are also several great restaurants in Jerez that offer sherry. Some have tasting and pairing menus, while others can provide recommendations for each course.
La Carboná
If you want to treat yourself to a nice meal in Jerez, La Carboná is one of the best places to do it. The restaurant’s menu (which includes tasting menus) is sherry-focused.
It also boasts one of the largest sherry collections in the world.
When I visited Jerez, I visited La Carboná for their tasting menu with sherry pairings.
Read about my full sherry dining and tasting experience at La Carboná
Las Banderillas
Lively Las Banderillas is a must-visit Jerez institution.
It’s packed with locals, so you know it’s good, but it’s also become increasingly popular with visitors wanting a taste of Andalusian cuisine with some sherry.
Be patient to get your spot at the counter or at a table and enjoy some of the best dishes in Jerez, including mojama, rabo de toro, carrillada de cerdo, and tortillitas de camarones.
Restaurante A Mar
The Andalusian coast produces a bounty of fresh seafood.
Head to Restaurante A Mar for fantastic local seafood dishes. Ask the servers for their recommendations for sherry pairings.
Tabanco El Pasaje
Tabanco El Pasaje is a traditional tabanco that features the best of what Jerez has to offer.
Get yourself some sherry from the barrels along with some local tapas, and enjoy some live flamenco. There’s no better way to spend an evening in Jerez.
Here are some great Jerez tours, including sherry tours and food tours, and other fun things to see and do in Jerez.
