Bodegas Hidalgo – La Gitana: The heart and soul of Manzanilla

09/06/2012

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the Cádiz town where Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitanais based, is an extraordinary place: located on the left bank of the mouth of the River Guadalquivir, opposite the Doñana National Park, and facing the Atlantic, which flows into the Strait of Gibraltar, the town boasts a unique microclimate. The high ground that lies just behind the town acts as a trap for the sea breeze which lingers over the region’s privileged soils to bestow the distinctive character which belongs to the unique wine that is only made in this corner of the world: Manzanilla.

The biological ageing process carried out under a living layer of yeast or ‘flor’grinds to a halt in summer and winter in other regions of the Sherry Triangle but in Sanlúcar de Barrameda the mild climate created by the Atlantic breeze and the marshlands allows the ‘flor’ to grow throughout the year, giving Manzanilla its salty character and its very special maritime fragrance. In fact, this wine has its very own appellation (DO Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda), although it shares its Regulating Council with DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and DO Vinagre de Jerez.

Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitana was founded in 1792, when José Pantaleón Hidalgo bought a small bodega from his father-in-law. From then till now the bodega has always been in the hands of the Hidalgo family, and it is the sixth generation that currently manages the business, being one of the last few remaining independent Sherry bodegas in the region. In the 19th century Bodegas Hidalgo established quality as the company standard and began to expand until becoming one of the most important in the region and the number one producer and exporter of Manzanilla to date. Over time the bodega has made its wine its standard-bearer, so much so that its brand, ‘La Gitana’, has become part of the company name.