Sherry will fortify trip to Spain

Dear Wine Ladies,

My wife and I would love to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in the beautiful country of Spain. Besides all the great food, art and architecture, how does it fare on the wine stage? Do you have any recommendations for which area might be among the most interesting to visit? We have some relatives in the south west and thought we might concentrate there.

Leonard
Toronto

Dear Leonard,

Firstly, congratulations on your 20th! Spain is indeed a wonder of destinations, not including a couple of wine stops in your itinerary would definitly be a shame! It is actually the country with the most vineyards planted than any other in the world and is the third largest producer, behind France and Italy.

While in the south west, a must see is the world renown area of Jerez (Sherry) which is one of the oldest wine producing towns in all of Spain. Sherry is the English term used for Jerez while the French term is Xeres. All bottles of authentic Sherry will bare a paper seal which will read Jerez-Xeres-Sherry. This seal guarantes the origin and is granted by the “Consejo regulador”. There are three centers; Jerez de la Frontera, Puerta de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda that produce Sherry with each one offering their own subtleties to the wines. You must visit one of the many wineries there and learn about the tradition of Sherry making, the multitudes of styles available and how to really enjoy this wonderful, fortified wine. The bodegas are also surrounded by little bars that offer the most delectable tapas that pair so well with the Sherry. A beautiful area that encompasses so much for the visitor. Hope you and your wife have a wonderful journey.