In this Ruta del Vino y Brandy, you will get to know the best wineries and wines of numerous municipalities in the province of Cádiz: Jerez de la Frontera, Trebujena, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Chipiona, Rota, El Puerto de Santa María and Chiclana de la Frontera.
Jerez de la Frontera
Few places in Spain enjoy international recognition thanks to so many good things. Its wine, “Jerez or Sherry”; the equestrian and bullfighting tradition; flamenco and motorbikes. The name of this city has long since crossed borders. It will be the starting point of this peculiar Ruta del Vino y Brandy (“Wine and Brandy Route”) where you will not only get to know the most representative things of this city. You can also see and enjoy more closely the world of wine, its landscapes, smells and flavours. It is required to start the tour of this wine area in this city.
Why? Well, because it is the economic centre of the rich Cadiz countryside and the most important winery setting of the “marco” of its name. It also has an outstanding monumental catalog in which religious buildings are abundant and a list of sumptuous palaces built by the agricultural aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. The Jerez urban planning presents the peculiarity that is contributed by the architecture of its wineries, in which even constructive characteristics are observed very close to luxury. You cannot miss visiting them!
Trebujena
It is a town near Jerez, located near the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Its landscape alternates the marshes with a sea of soft hills with vineyards. On the horizon appears Doñana, a spectacular setting that led Steven Spielberg to shoot the movie The Empire of the Sun. It is famous for its musts (“mostos”), which must be savoured in some of the cooperatives that exist in the town, accompanied by some delicious shrimp (camarones) or their famous angulas (elver).
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
At the mouth of the Guadalquivir, in front of the Doñana National Park, Sanlúcar was a reference port in the discovery of the New World. Christopher Columbus, Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano left from here to search for wealth and glory. Trade ties with America reached their peak in the 19th century. Wineries in Sanlúcar are as sumptuous and solemn as those in Jerez, so you shouldn’t miss this Ruta del Vino y Brandy.
Among them is Barbadillo, which produces a white table wine already well known and appreciated throughout Spain. Hidalgo, Argüeso or La Guita are also highly regarded. The extraordinary location of Sanlúcar and a genuine microclimate are the basis of the upbringing of a unique wine: Manzanilla. It is not produced anywhere else in the world, and it goes perfectly with their other flagship product: the Sanlúcar prawns.
Chipiona
This is an agricultural and marine village included in the production area of the Jerez framework. Here, a magnificent muscat is made, sweet and fruity wine obtained from grapes of the same name. Here you will find the highest lighthouse in Spain: with 69 metres, the Chipiona Lighthouse dates from 1867. It has a magnificent viewpoint and great golden sand beaches awarded with Blue Flags of the European Union since 1989.
Rota
The production of Tintilla de Rota is smaller, an oenological relic of sweet taste and dark colour. And yet, it must be present in this Ruta del Vino y Brandy. Coming from the grape variety of the same name, it is still possible to taste it in some of the few wineries that survive in this town. Apart from its beautiful beaches and its well-preserved Castillo de Luna, this town has a unique monument: fishing weirs. These are probably Roman or Arab constructions that surround the sea as if they were small pools. In this way, at low tide, fish and shellfish are caught, being caught by fishermen. The fishing weirs of La Almadraba Beach are declared a Natural Monument.
El Puerto de Santa María
This important tourist centre that has an outstanding monumental heritage. Birthplace of Rafael Alberti, during the 18th century it reached its maximum splendour and was known as the “City of One Hundred Palaces“. It was in the twentieth century, and thanks to the wine trade, when it acquires its physiognomy and where those beautiful baroque palaces are shown. Among the wineries in the city, Osborne stands out, thanks to its emblem “El Toro de Osborne” that accompanies the traveller on all Spanish roads. It is Cultural Interest since 1997.
El Puerto also has other very important winery facilities, so you cannot miss it in this Ruta del Vino y Brandy. In addition to Osborne, you will also find Terry, Luis Caballero or Bodegas 501. Here, the basic wines of the area, the Fino, the Oloroso and the Amontillado, as well as the brandy, age in the environment that is characteristic of the whole marco.
Chiclana de la Frontera
The wine production of this municipality is very imporant, and it is marketed under the Vinos de Chiclana distinctive (“Chiclana Wines”). In their wineries, excellent Fino, muscat, Amontillado, Oloroso and Creams are made. Its characteristics are close to those of Jerez wines. This town enjoys a great boom in the tourism sector in recent years. This is due to its many attractions focused on the natural environment, within the Bay of Cadiz Natural Park, and on the magnificent beaches, the marina and the golf courses.