ANDALUCÍA - CÁDIZ- JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA - BODEGAS PEDRO DOMECQ

Miguel Renoir Spanish Guides
Jun 18, 2021
3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

BODEGAS PEDRO DOMECQ

The Pedro Domecq Bodega (famous for Harvey's Bristol Cream, Terry's Brandy, and Fundador Sherries) is an enjoyable experience that can be arranged shortly before your visit.

The guides speak good English and give an in-depth tour of the bodega. They explain how the different types of sherry and brandy are produced, stored, bottled, and marketed under their distinct brand names.

The Solera system is explained. To keep the sherry tasting the same, a third of the wine is drawn from the oldest barrel at the bottom of the solera for bottling, replenished with a third from the next oldest barrel, and so on.

There is also an excellent museum that visually illustrates some of the bodega's heritage.

An old bottling machine.

The tour takes 1.5 hours and culminates in a tasting, with a brief stop at the shop.

The premises housing the bodega itself are beautiful. It has an immaculate garden and courtyard that can be used as a wedding venue. It was easy to find in the old part of the town, and the staff made you feel very welcome.

Wonderful old trees.

Harvey's Bristol Cream (a blend of fino, amontillado, oloroso and PX) was blended in Bristol, England, by the Harvey family (who never actually lived in Jerez), hence the name. It is said the best way to have Bristol Cream is to have it chilled with two slices of orange and ice, unlike Grandmothers who keep it in the cupboard for Christmas :-)

Brandy was discovered when 500 barrels of pure white spirit went unsold for 5 years. When tasted later, they found it had taken colour from the wood, tasted rather fine (with less alcohol content) and had turned into this new drink, which they initially called cognac, then brandy, to distance it from the French version!

The Terry Family was originally from Ireland and moved to El Puerto de Santa Maria. There, they became destitute and ignored, until they were eventually cared for by local fishermen. Out of gratitude for this, they covered their bottles with fishermen's nets once they became wealthy, a practice that is still part of the branding today.

Many of the barrels (always made of American oak) have been signed by famous people like Bo Derek.

Seve Ballesteros

When the barrels are around 70 years old, they are sold to Scottish whisky makers, who believe the sherry-stained wood adds flavour to the whisky, so nothing is wasted.

Famous people like the Duke of Wellington used to have their own casks.

King George V

You will get a demonstration of the various types of sherry (fino, amontillado, oloroso and PX) and brandies in their various states of maturity in the museum at the end of the tour.