Taste the Flavors of Spain

Our Republic-based wine columnist uncovers the secrets of Jerez, in Spain's Andalusia region, where tapas and flamenco reign.

(page 2 of 3)

Photo courtesy Bodegas Lustau The above-ground wine cellar, or "bodega" of sherry maker Bodegas Lustau.

Above-Ground Cellars

The next morning, after a presentation on the history and methods of sherry production, it was off to Bodegas Lustau for a very informative tour and tasting.
The cellars in Jerez are called “bodegas” and are entirely above-ground due to the clay soil. The buildings are not air-conditioned but use 40-foot ceilings with windows near the top to allow heat to rise and escape above the casks, which are stacked three or four levels high. Bougainvillea and other plants grow on the outside walls to deflect the sun.

We were treated to lunch at Rojamura Restaurante in the town of El Puerto de Santa Maria. This was a bit like an American restaurant, as we were
given menus listing various starters, sides and entrées. Our host encouraged trying the sea bass on a bed of pasta with pesto, which we eagerly did. The seafood is caught fresh off the coast, and during the summer, fish is on the menu everywhere. We still received numerous tapas and the ever-present picos: small, hard breadsticks made with olive oil.

Following lunch, we rode the ferry Vaporcito de El Puerto across Cadiz Bay to the city of Cadiz, the same waters where both Magellan and Columbus set sail. The city dates back to the Phoenicians and is a stark contrast of the old and the new. We dined outdoors at a restaurant tucked among the narrow winding streets. Tables were filled at 10:30 p.m., once the cool coastal breezes replaced the day’s heat.

And Sherry Kept Coming

The next morning, our group headed to El Majuelo, a vineyard owned and operated by Bodegas Harveys. Harveys Bristol Cream is the best-selling sherry in the United States. It was July, and the vines were somewhat unkempt, with Palomino clusters that were nowhere near ripe. Soon the vines would be tidied up for harvest in late August and early September. Cellar master Beltran Domecq accompanied us to the bodega. We tasted the full line of sherries, from pale, dry Fino to a 100-year old rare Oloroso, rich and sweet.

Our next stop was nearby Gonzalez Byass, a manicured paradise and home of more excellent sherry. Here, a train takes visitors on a tour of the property to see casks signed by such celebrities as Orson Wells and Cole Porter. In one bodega, a tiny ladder leans up against a glass of dessert sherry, where mice are known to climb and take a nip.

Our hostess walked us to Bar Juanito, a popular tapas bar. The most interesting tapas was meatballs made from wild boars fed on acorns.