The world-famous wine owes its name to the Andalusian town of Jerez, which eventually became "sherry" in English. The grapes grow on white limestone soils, known as "Albarizas", in a triangle between the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. After pressing and fermentation in modern stainless steel tanks, as well as the addition of wine alcohol, the traditional ageing of the wines begins in approximately 600 liter wooden barrels, the "butts".
These barrels are only two-thirds full, allowing a protective layer of yeast, known as "flor", to quickly form on the wine, which protects the young wine from oxidation and is crucial for the formation of the typical sherry aromas. During storage according to the so-called "solera system", the barrels are continuously refilled with wine from younger vintages after about a third of the protective yeast layer has been removed.
In this way, the best wines pass through many rows of barrels for several years. At the same time, the constant blending of old and younger wines results in a consistent end product that preserves the characteristic aromas and high quality of the sherry.
