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Latest update: 16 February 2024
The Cadiz province is the sherry region of Spain. The drink is made and drunk here in abundance. Only sherry made in this region may bear the name sherry. So you should definitely try a sherry tour in the Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera area, or at least visit a sherry bodega. And if you’re not into sherry, you can join a regular wine tasting too.
Welcome to the sherry triangle!
The only region where the original sherry is produced is Cádiz in Spain. The so-called sherry triangle consists of the area between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. There are dozens of sherry bodegas here. You can visit many of them. At some, you can simply stop by and order sherry at the bar. At others, you can join a sherry tour or sherry tasting. If you want to be sure of a spot, please make a reservation!
It’s fun to compare the different sherries. I didn’t know anything about the drink, so I didn’t even know that there were several types of sherry. You can choose from, for example, manzanilla, fino, amontillado, oloroso, cream and Pedro Ximénez. And they all taste different. Manzanilla and fino are not my taste at all (it reminds me of methyl alcohol, that’s not a good sign), but I like the sweet cream sherry.
Sherry tours in the Cádiz region
So if you are in the Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera region, try arranging a sherry tour. You can go to various places for a sherry tour and tasting. I want to give you a few options.
Sherry tour: Bodegas Osborne – El Puerto de Santa María
The sherry tours at Bodegas Osborne in El Puerto de Santa María are a well-oiled machine. There are tours in several languages almost every day. The grounds of Bodegas Osborne are beautiful, with a lovely courtyard and a well-maintained garden.
The tour starts in the wine cellar, where the guide explains the production process and the history of the sherry house. The sherry tour of Bodegas Osborne takes about an hour, and you get to taste four sherries. You can taste more sherry if you opt for a VIP or premium tour.
Sherry tour: Bodega Manuel Aragón – Chiclana de la Frontera
Bodega Manual Aragón is the very first sherry bodega that I visit. And it is also the most fun. I like it because it is a small bodega with much personal attention. It will probably be different in the summer months, but my tour is just the two of us, and my parents have a tour with only one other couple a month later. So it feels cozy and as if the guide has all the time for you.
I have a Spanish-language guide, so I also download the app with English text and audio. We make it work together – with my holiday Spanish, the explanation in the app, and lots of pointing and laughing. You get to see the vineyard and storage, and then you can taste the sherries and eat some tapas in the garden. What a wonderful afternoon!
Sherry tour: Tío Pepe – Jerez de la Frontera
Bodegas Gonzáles-Byass makes the Tío Pepe sherry. You may have seen the symbol along the highways: a little man with a red jacket and hat. Tió means uncle and Tío Pepe is the uncle of founder Manual Maria González. Robert Byass was his business partner.
By the way, the symbol of Osborne is the bull, which you also see along the roads.
Bodegas Gonzáles-Byass is one of the largest and most famous sherry houses. The tour is pretty popular and touristy, and we are even driven over the site by a little train. This is OK for a first introduction to sherry, but it’s not the most personal experience. We make several stops in the bodega and look at the mixing system of the barrels, among other things. There are three rows of barrels on top of each other, and one-third of the contents are taken out and replaced with the contents of the barrel above.
I taste two sherries in the tasting room, but you can also buy a more extensive sherry tasting. You can make reservations online in advance at this sherry house in Jerez de la Frontera.
Wine tasting in the Cádiz region
The wines from Cádiz are perhaps a bit overshadowed by the sherry wines. A shame because there are quite a few excellent wineries in this part of Andalusia. I have done two wine tastings in this part of Andalucia. One in La Ina and one in Jerez de la Frontera.
Wine tasting: Miguel Domecq – La Ina
The Miguel Domecq winery is a fifteen-minute drive from Jerez de la Frontera. The last part is on a quiet country road with hills and vineyards on both sides. And then suddenly, the hypermodern winery in La Ina pops up. With our guide, we check out the vineyard, the storage, and the production area, and of course, we end the tour with a wine tasting.
The wine tasting takes place in a small private tasting room. We first see a film about the winery and then taste four wines. We are excited about the Alhocen Chardonnay and take some bottles home. Here too, you can expand your tasting with extra snacks.
After the tasting, driving a little further up the hills is nice because there is the Torre de Cera. You can see the ruins of a watchtower and even more vineyards.
Wine tasting: Bodegas Luis Pérez – Jerez de la Frontera
If you order a local wine at a restaurant in Cádiz, you will probably get one from Bodegas Luis Pérez. Especially the red Garum is very popular. So that’s a good reason to visit this winery. Around the bodega are the vineyards on the rolling hills of Jerez de la Frontera. Unfortunately, there are strong winds during my visit, so I mainly sit inside at the long table in the tasting room. In a corner, there are lovely sofas between books and a fireplace. What a lovely spot.
I happen to get the tour from a Dutch guide. Caroline has lived in the region for years. She has worked at several wineries, so you can count on getting a lot of information during this wine tour. And lots of wine: you can taste four.
More Spain inspiration?
Helpful links for your Spain trip
- Accommodation. All-time favorites: Booking.com and Campspace. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide and Viator. Another good option is WithLocals. And Freetour.com and GuruWalk both offer ‘free’ walking tours, while Baja Bikes has bike tours.
- Attractions and museums. Get a 5% discount at Tiqets on museums and attractions with the discount code: KIMOPREIS22
- Boat. You can catch a boat to Mallorca from Barcelona, for example. Book your ticket at Balearia. You can also get to the other Balearic Islands with Balearia. Compare ferry prices at Direct Ferries.
- Bus and train. Travel to Spain with NS International or Flixbus. Other useful companies are Busbud, 12go, and Omio, also for buses and trains within Spain.
- Car rental. My go-to car rental companies are EasyTerra and Sunny Cars as they have all-inclusive / worry-free offers. Want to compare more prices? Check out Discover Cars.
- Flights. Have a look at Transavia and Vueling, but do compare prices! Definitely check out Momondo, Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Money. Your debit and credit cards may not get accepted everywhere. You could opt for a Revolut card as an additional card when you travel.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? From The Netherlands, there is plenty of choice. ANWB vakanties, Tui, Shoestring or Sawadee, of rather D-reizen, Sunweb, Corendon or Vakantie Discounter?
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high calling and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Travel gear. Buy your gear at Bever or Decathlon, or simply at Bol.com.
- Travel guides. Let’s get you ready for your trip! Order a travel guide to browse through. For example, at Bol.com or Amazon.
- Yoga retreat. Or why not treat yourself to a yoga retreat in Spain!
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