Sherry Masterclass in Jerez

SAMPLE 3 DAY ITINERARY -  2 OR 1 DAY OPTIONS ALSO AVAILABLE  

Day 1: Usually a travelling day unless you’re already in the area, we’ll be meeting you from the plane or train and escorting you to your hotel or meeting you there if you’re on a self-drive.

Day 2: This is where the learning really starts. After breakfast you’ll be taken to our wonderfully named Devil Vineyard, home of one of the oldest vineyards in Spain where wines have been produced for the last 3000 years and another reason why Diez Merito really is in a class of its own.

Although only a short drive from the centre of Town, you’ll feel you’re being transported to another world as we show you the fantastic countryside covered with our vines as far as the eye can see.

You’ll start with a walk through the vineyard with our Head of who’ll give you hands on instructions in all the processes involved in making Diez Merito one of the finest sherries available.

You’ll learn about the harvesting  and all our secrets and depending on the date of your visit, help with the harvesting itself. Crushing, pressing, fermentation and clarification will similarly be explained in the same detail again depending on the date of your visit.

Of course all this learning can’t be done without a tasting and food and over Lunch you’ll be introduced to some of our wines, accompanied by a selection of cold Tapas dishes.

Knowing everything there is to know about how our grapes are grown, harvested and stored, we now move onto another part of your Masterclass – the blending process.

Our most appreciated Sherries outside of Spain are without doubt those that have been blended: the cream, pale cream, medium and medium dry.

Our Award Winning Winemaker will pass on to you many of the skills he uses in making these blends, not just in words but also by practice.

With a range of wines from young to old to blend together, can you now impress our Winemaker with your newly learned skills? A perfect momento of the day’s Masterclass.

Now it’s time to leave the Devil Vineyard and head back to Jerez, where depending on numbers, in our Bodegas or one of our Partner Restaurants you’ll experience the next and very different part of our Masterclass.

Some people still think that Sherry is only to be bought at Christmas and even then only drunk by people of a certain age.

Those in the know however are predicting that Sherry will soon follow Gin as the new Cocktail of Choice, by both young and old.

You’ll therefore learn how to make a variety of cocktails using our Sherries - simple to exotic - from the best Master Blender in town.

Bouganvilla, Cream & Cream, Sherry Negroni and many more appealing cocktails designed to be enjoyed any time, any day, any season. In summer a very popular drink in Jerez is El Rebujito, known in English as Sherry Cobbler (Sherry, sugar, soda and a lemon slice).

Then it’s time to finish the day with a superb meal at our Restaurant of choice accompanied of course by some of our finest wines.

Day 3: Today you’ll not only be learning all about the history of Diez Merito but also the history of wines in Jerez – Xeres – Sherry made from the oldest Denomination of Origin in Spain.

Located in the centre of the city, this beautiful building from 1790, Bodegas Bertimati is the best-preserved 18th century winery in Jerez. Between its walls age the oldest Sherry in Jerez whilst the prestigious Fino Imperial has a solera dating back to start in 1790.

This is the only place in the world where this particular wine aging with its system of criaderas and soleras. The owners of the winery were so proud of this Sherry they used to impregnate their jacket top pocket handkerchiefs with drops of it.

You’ll learn all about how the various owners built up and added to the business and how King Alfonso XII appointed the company a Royal Warrant as suppliers to the King, allowing them to use the Spanish Royal Coat of Arms on their wine labels and stationery.

As you’re guided around the arches and vaults, patios and gardens, the 200 plus years of history come to life, with the wisdom of Sherry permeating around every corner and majestic wines and names that will conquer your senses.

At Diez Merito we produce three famous brands of Sherrys: Pemartín, Bertola and our VORS (the very old rare sherrys).

Your tasting session will explore the delights and tastes of all 3, as you appreciate how the young wines you tasted yesterday at the Vineyard, mature into the wonderous offerings now in front of you and being tasted in such befitting surroundings.

Lunch will once again be a variety of tapas served in the Bodegas with time to wander at leisure around its portals, before moving on to the next part of the Masterclass.

Did you know that the best Scottish whiskies are aged in sherry casks? Our very old sherry barrels provide to the Brandy distillations great aroma, taste and colour. Here at Diez Merito we have very old brandies of different ages which we’ll now enjoy together.

As final touch for our SHERRY MASTERCLASS we will enjoy a Final Dinner in the award winning Restaurant La Carboná, where you will receive a Diploma for your participation in the Masterclass, whilst enjoying a sumptuous meal, accompanied of course by the best of Diez Merito wines.  (If part of a Group the Final Dinner will be in the Bodega with the possibility of Flamenco entertainment to bring a fitting end to the proceedings.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

If you're more interested in learning about the pleasures of preparing Tapas, wanting a full blown Spanish Cookery Course or just to learn from Award Winning Chefs some of the tips to Cooking with Sherry - we can arrange it. Our Chefs even take you to the Market to show you how they choose the best meat, fish, cheese and vegetables as part of the process!.   

Depending on your time we may offer you the visit to a liquor distillery and to a beer brewery

Cerveza de Bodega 15&30 Sherry Cask Beer - Brewery

You'll have the chance to visit Cerveza de Bodega 15&30 Sherry Cask Beer Brewery on this tour!

As it could not be otherwise, our Brewery is situated in the historic center of Jerez de la Frontera. With over two centuries of history, it has housed a winery from its inception. We have given our maximum respect.

"If you want to visit the brewery, come to Jerez and you will be able to enjoy a paired tasting with our authentic artisan beers".

The VISIT to the brewery consists of an explanation of the project, its history, the evolution of sherry wine and its casks, the adaptation of the building, and the facilities in general.

• A brief introduction to the WORLD OF BEER, styles, types, raw material, and production systems.
• A tasting of our beers in to the building´s original configuration and have adapted it in order to allow us to create a beer of maximum quality. the different stages of brewing: fermenting, green, mature, in the barrel, …etc.
• A visualization of the system that uses barrels for aging, its characteristic Layer of Yeast, and our unique system of Sherry Cask aging.

The TASTING, consists of trying the 4 different styles of beer currently being made, each served in a 25cl tasting glass. The four beers are the Blond and Dubbel, (Belgian) and the Barley Wine and IPA (English). You will also taste a product that is still in development and which will be explained by our production team.

Also, at the end of the tour, you will have the opportunity of trying a 45cl LIP-type glass of the styles that we will serve directly from the barrel (BLOND or DUBBEL).

All of this will be accompanied by nuts, cured cheese, ham, breadsticks, and potato chips.

There will also be the opportunity to buy individual bottles of the 4 styles of beer that are currently available on the market, as well as those that have not yet been marketed, at SPECIAL PRICES.

You can find more information here

Cacao Pico - Distillery

You'll also have the chance to visit the Cacao Pico Distillery on this tour! A crystal clear liquor with the aroma of a freshly baked chocolate cake.

Pico Distilleries are located in the city of El Puerto de Santa María, in the "frame of Jerez", traditional area in wines and liquors. It was founded in 1824 by D. Manuel Pico and after 3 generations as a family business, in 1940 it was incorporated in a company called:  Destilerías del Cacao Pico SA

It is in 1952 when it passed into the hands of the Merello brothers, current owners of the business. The small size and the familiar character are constant throughout the life of the distillery - perfect to see how it's been distilled through the years and even more perfect when you taste it!

You can find more information here