ProPOSALS/ A WEEKEND ON THE WINE AND BRANDY ROUTE OF THE JEREZ REGION

A WEEKEND ON THE WINE AND BRANDY ROUTE OF THE JEREZ REGION

Take a weekend break on the Wine and Brandy Route of the Jerez Region. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Below we suggest some ideas to help you delve into the heart of the region and make the most of your mini-break.

DAY 1: JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA

A visit to Jerez de la Frontera is the best way to begin a weekend in the Region. Jerez is a city where tradition and the contemporary go hand in hand. The city of a thousand and one contrasts offers a range of varied experiences just waiting to be discovered.

To begin the morning we propose an incursion into the passionate world of the horse, representing both culture and tradition in Jerez. Visit the Yeguada de la Cartuja, located in the countryside surrounding Jerez, the ideal way to spend your first morning  on the route. Discover how the Spanish purebred Carthusian horses live, one of the purest and most highly appreciated in the world, discover their history, how they are cared for, their training and many other curiosities.

To complete the visit we encourage you to participate on one of the most exciting and genuine experiences: an equestrian show. In this show the horses of Jerez dance to the rhythm of flamenco and the best of Spanish music, making spectacular movements, turns and pirouettes. Guided by horsemen dressed in traditional costumes of the time these majestic animals are the protagonists of an artistic  equestrian ballet that will leave nobody feeling indifferent.

After a morning filled with the true essence of Jerez, it is now time to recover energy and continue discovering what the route has to offer. We propose delighting your palates with a gastronomic menu based on local produce in one of the restaurants located in the historic centre of Jerez de la Frontera. Fresh produce of the finest quality, such as fish and shellfish from the nearby coast, meat from the Sierra de Cádiz, cheeses and cold cuts, vegetables from the surrounding countryside…. are the protagonists of the creations served in our restaurants, dishes that perfectly combine tradition, creativity and the latest culinary trends. Pairing these delicious flavours with sherry will elevate your gastronomic experience to the highest level. La Carboná, Albores, Cuchara de Palo, T22, La Cruz Blanca… are some of the restaurants where you can taste the best cuisine that Jerez has to offer.

With your batteries recharged, now is the moment to delve more deeply into the world of sherry. Recognised and award-winning around the world, sherry defines the identity of the city and of the whole region. Sherries are produced and aged in authentic temples to wine known as cathedral bodegas, given their immense size and the devote silence of these vast warehouses where sherry is aged. Buildings, in many cases with centuries of history, painstakingly designed to obtain wines of exceptional quality. Bodegas González Byass, Bodegas Fundador, Bodegas Marqués del Real Tesoro and Valdespino or Bodegas Williams & Humbert are some of the cathedral bodegas located in Jerez de la Frontera to which a visit cannot be missed. They offer experiences to be enjoyed with all five senses, where you learn about their unique ageing process, compare the different types in a commented tasting or paired with the best food produce of the region.

To end the day nothing could be better than to immerse yourself to the full in the culture and tradition of Jerez de la Frontera by visiting one of its tabancos. These sherry dispensaries are places with long years of history and tradition, where sherry is served straight from the cask. A tapa and a glass of sherry with a live flamenco performance in the background is the perfect way to end your first day in the Jerez Region.

DAY 2: SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA

A new day begins and the Wine and Brandy Route of the Jerez Region awaits to present you with further unforgettable moments.

What better way to start the day than to head for the most diverse natural space in all Europe? We are talking about the Doñana National Park. A natural paradise between land and sea where a great number of ecosystems converge (beach, sand dunes, reserves, marshland…) making it a key intersection on the bird migratory route between Africa and Europe.

Doñana is home to thousands of species, many in danger of extinction, most outstanding being its birdlife and invertebrates. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals complete the fauna of a natural space where the undisputable king is the Iberian Lynx.

From Sanlúcar you can tour the Park in two different ways. By land in a 4×4 vehicle that tours the different ecosystems of the space and allows you to observe up-close the behaviour of unique species of animal, or by taking a boat trip along the estuary of the river Guadalquivir. If you wish the complete experience, you can always combine both activities.

For lunch, after such a unique experience in close contact with nature, we recommend you wander around the historic centre of Sanlúcar and taste the best of its cuisine. Langostinos, fried anemones, fried fish, tortitas de camarones, acedías, and seafood stews are just a few of the exquisite dishes that have made Sanlúcar worthy of its gastronomic fame, earning it the National Gastronomic Capital award in 2022. To savour these delicious flavours, paired with the characteristic Manzanilla wine of the city, is a totally authentic experience to be found in restaurants such as Lantero.

In the afternoon, be prepared to discover the exclusive and wonderful world of Manzanilla. Visit Bodegas Barbadillo, one of the temples to this characteristic wine produced exclusively in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Barbadillo is one of the largest  bodegas in the Jerez Region. Discover its production and ageing process, the history of the bodega, founded in 1821, and visit its Manzanilla Museum, travelling through two centuries of history to help you understand why Manzanilla and the wines of the Jerez Region are a way of life, the essence of our land and our roots.

To bid farewell to Sanlúcar, tapas in its bars and taverns is by far the best option. The atmosphere breathed in Bajo de Guía, the old fishermen’s quarter, or in the Plaza del Cabildo represent the essence of the Jerez Region to perfection. Good cheer, enjoyment, hospitality, gastronomy and a lot of wine to end a day filled with excitement in a gastronomic destination of the highest standard.

Tour the coastline of El Puerto and contemplate the Bay of Cádiz from the deck of a catamaran, a unique way to enjoy a relaxing sunny morning in the Region. Setting sail from Puerto Sherry, the modern Marina of El Puerto de Santa María, the boat trip tours the shores of this little corner of the Cádiz coastline and allows you to contemplate such singular landmarks of the area as the Castillo de Sancti Petri, standing on an island of the same name that belongs to Chiclana de la Frontera, or the numerous species of birdlife that inhabit the Bay of Cádiz Nature Park, such as the pink flamingo. To complete this memorable experience we recommend a sherry tasting session whilst contemplating the immensity of the Bay.

Once back in El Puerto you cannot fail to visit the Ribero del Marisco and enjoy the very best flavours of local cuisine. El Romerijo is an excellent choice. This riverside promenade, located at the mouth of the Guadalete river, is the gastronomic centre of the city and one of the best known riverside promenades in all Andalusia. Seafood stews, fish, shellfish, fried fish… enjoy a final meal in the Jerez Region with the authentic flavour of the sea and, naturally, accompanied by the best wines of the region.

After dinner, we recommend a walk around the historic centre of the city, declared a Historic Site. Its architectural heritage includes the tenth century Castillo de San Marcos, the Doña Blanca Phoenician archaeological site, the Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora de Los Milagros – Priory or illustrious palazzos. Our final recommendation is to go on a theatrical tour of the Castillo de San Marcos, where you can learn about part of the history of El Puerto in an original an entertaining manner.

IF YOU STAY A LITTLE LONGER….

And if you stay longer in the Jerez Region, don’t miss the opportunity to experience a memorable wine tourism activity amidst our vineyards, in what are known as the Pagos del Sherry. Visit a vineyard house with tastings and samplings, take a bicycle or 4×4 tour, wine and food experiences at sunset.. just a few of the proposals to round off your visit to the Region.