Jerez sherry wine tour | touring Bodegas Tradícion

Inside Bodegas Tradición: An Essential Sherry Tasting Experience in Jerez

An exploration of one of Jerez de la Frontera’s most famous sherry houses, Bodegas Tradición.

A highlight of any travel experience is getting under the skin of the local food and drink scene. For me, that means bypassing the generic tourist spots to find the neighbourhood bars, the restaurants locals return to, and the regional wines that tell the story behind the city.

On a trip to Andalucia, this mindset naturally led me to Jerez de la Frontera – one of three points on the iconic Sherry Triangle. To truly understand the region’s complex viticulture, I booked a tour at Bodegas Tradición, an exceptional sherry house hidden in the historic centre of the city.

The Heritage of the Sherry Triangle

The Sherry Triangle is a wine-producing region in Andalusia, Spain, between three key locations: Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. Just as Champagne isn’t Champagne unless it’s made in that region of France, for sherry to be deemed genuine, quality stuff, it has to, by law, be aged within the Sherry Triangle.

During my time spent in Cadiz, I knew I wanted to take a trip out to one of the cities in the Sherry Triangle and explore the home of sherry as much as I could. After doing some research (which involved a watch of Rick Stein’s trip to Cádiz – the only research I really needed to do), I chose Bodegas Tradición in Jerez de la Frontera, which sits just a short distance from Cádiz, and is easily accessible by train.

Bodegas Tradición, Jerez de la Frontera

Visit: Bodegas Tradición, Calle Cordobeses, 3, 11408 Jerez de la Frontera

Founded in 1998, Bodegas Tradición may seem relatively modern on paper, but it operates as the direct successor to the oldest winery in Jerez: Bodega CZ, J.M. Rivero, which dates back to 1650. Unlike massive commercial producers, Tradición exclusively focuses on highly aged, premium sherries using traditional, hands-on techniques. Every bottle that leaves the estate is unfiltered and unchilled, with absolutely no additives. The result is sherry in its purest, most honest form, easily setting the standard for winemaking in Andalucia.

If the quality sherry isn’t enough to get you booking a flight to Jerez, then perhaps the exclusive art gallery of some of Spain’s most iconic artists is enough to convince you that Bodegas Tradición is a must-visit. That’s right, inside Bodegas Tradición you’ll find a private art collection filled with artworks from Spanish legends like Velázquez, El Greco and Goya.

Inside the Bodega: Art, American Oak, and the Solera System

The bodega opens its doors for regular, intimate tours of around 10 people (priced at €60 per person, approximately £50), which seamlessly combine a world-class sherry tasting with access to an extraordinary private art collection.

Our guide, Ulrike, led us into the atmospheric, darkened depths of the cellar. The air inside was cool and heavy, which we welcomed with open arms after the scorching 38-degree heat. The scent of oak and evaporating alcohol—affectionately known as the angel’s share filled the room. As we stood, surrounded by towering rows of American oak barrels, she explained the magic behind the traditional solera ageing system.

What is Solera ageing?

Solera ageing involves blending older and younger batches of wine together over many years to create a more complex flavour profile. In terms of Sherry, this could mean holding onto liquid from years before, and topping it up with newer liquid to create a blend. The blend never really ends, it just gets topped up and topped up. So, you could end up with traces of sherry from decades before in your bottle.

Tasting the Sherries: Exploring Sherry with Bodegas Tradición

Once the tour was over, we headed back to the front of the venue to try five different sherries. Beginning with the Fino and Manzanilla, some of the lighter sherries, and finishing with a big, bold cream sherry. Each sherry was paired with food to complement the flavour.

My favourite: Oloroso served with Manchego cheese. The whole experience felt so considered and intimate, and the staff at Bodegas Tradición were so knowledgeable and passionate about their sherry. I couldn’t recommend the experience enough.

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