I imagine there might be a few sleepy souls in the town of Jerez de la Frontera, southern Spain, today. This past week was the Feria del Caballo, an annual horse fair that takes place in this Andalucian outpost. But what have horses got to do with wine? Well, Jerez is also at the heart of Spain’s sherry production in the region of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO – an area that includes Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. So while the town goes horse crazy, it is also, from what I can determine, a great excuse to meet with friends, eat good food, dance, and of course… drink a lot of sherry.
I first visited this vibrant town several years ago when I’d just started studying and working in wine. My knowledge of sherry at that point didn’t really extend beyond seeing bottles of Harvey’s Bristol Cream on my nan’s dresser in her kitchen. But a bargain Ryanair flight and a cheap hotel room changed everything.
