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Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, both situated in the province of Cadiz, are separate DOs that share the same vineyards and Regulatory Council (Consejo Regulador), established in 1933. They also share similar traditional methods of winemaking based on the Solera and Criaderas system, a method of dynamic ageing in butts (oak barrels) which allows young wines to take on the characteristics of older ones.
 Jerez has exported wines since at least Roman times , and today its wines account for the greatest volume of any Spanish DO exports. They are sold in fifty countries. The enormous international commercial success of these wines is, to a large degree, due to the long export tradition of great wineries, the broad consumer range and the wine's exceptional quality, which has its source in the unique winemaking and ageing processes.
Jerez DO, established in 1933, was Spain's first. The past few years have witnessed a widening range of wines available on the market and, thanks to the meticulous work of the winemakers and the initiatives undertaken by the Regulatory Council, a small amount of DO wines which are subjected to a prolonged ageing process and sold with the certification of Vino de Jerez Con Vejez Calificada (Rare Old Sherries) on the back label. This certification from the Regulatory Council is granted to Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximenez wines aged more than twenty and thirty years.
All these factors have combined to increase profits for the producers, the majority of whom have reinvested in improvements in their wineries.
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Fact file
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CRDO address:
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Avenida Álvaro Domecq, 2
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11405 Jerez de la Frontera
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Cádiz
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Spain
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DO established
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1935
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Last updated
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March / 2000
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Telephone
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+34-956-332-050
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Fax
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+34-956-338-908
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E-mail
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vinjerez@sherry.org
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Website
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www.sherry.org
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Vineyards:
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Subzones
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-
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Area under vine
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10,496 ha
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Area in full production
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10,496 ha
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Altitude of vineyards
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20-100 m
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Soil types
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Chalky, sandy soils with clay
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Principal grapes (w)
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Palomino Fino, Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez
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Principal grapes (r)
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-
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Permitted grapes (w)
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-
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Permitted grapes (r)
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-
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Experimental grapes (w)
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-
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Experimental grapes (r)
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-
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Organic viticulture
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-
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Climate:
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Max. summer temp.
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40º C
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Min. winter temp.
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0º C
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Average rainfall
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500-600 mm annually
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Average sunshine
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3,000 hours annually
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Production:
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Maximum crop
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10,500 kg /ha
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Yield
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70%
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Equivalent hl/ha
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73.50 hl
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Production 2001
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76,189,168
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Production 2002
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69,029,860
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Production 2003
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67,162,967
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Production 2004
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69,297,296
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Production 2005
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48,575,800
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Wine alcohol content:
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Fino, Manzanilla
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min 15% abv
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Amontillado
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min 16% abv, max 22% abv
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Oloroso, Palo Cortado
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min 17% abv, max 22% abv
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Medium
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min 15% abv, max 115 g/l residual material
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Pale Cream
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min 15.5% abv, max 115 g/l residual material
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Cream
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min 15.5% abv, min 115 g/l residual material
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Pedro Ximénez
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min 15% abv
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Moscatel
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min 15% abv
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Ageing in Solera:
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All wines
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3 years
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VOS
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20 years
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VORS
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30 years
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Wineries:
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Number of Wineries
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Ageing and shipping (63), Ageing and warehousing (20) Production (18)
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Total exports - 2001
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56,900,192
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Total exports - 2002
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55,212,037
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Total exports - 2003
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51,749,061
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Total exports - 2004
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49,153,984
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Total exports - 2005
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46,492,958
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