Sherry Wines of the Mediterranean (7 days)
The essence of the Sherry and the flavours of the South
Sherry in all its shades
The Sherry wine route through Andalusia. This tour is about rediscovering Sherry wines, one of the great fortified wines in the world, a great ambassador of Andalusia.
Enjoy a fuss-free travel experience in Southern Spain, visiting six wine cellars, many whose brands were founded by British Catholic refugees. The South of Spain is home to many ancient traditions, its people carry them through generations. Andalusia offers much more than flamenco dance, fascinating architectural displays, and impressive palaces. This region has a lifestyle inherited from the earliest settlers, the Phoenicians and Romans. The journey takes us to the magnificent Capital of Western Andalusia: Sevilla, with its monuments including the Giralda, el Alcázar and the sumptuous Cathedral.
The essence of Sherry wines is to be found in Jerez de la Frontera, which provides us with a wealth of opportunities to understand the “criadera and solera” ageing process, while tasting 10 year+ aged Sherry wines in one of the “tabancos” where you meet only locals.
The route passes through the three small iconic towns forming the “Sherry triangle”, namely Jerez - Sanlucár de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa María. Jerez is an ageless town, home to some prominent sherry cathedral wineries and to a millenial tradition of serving the manzanilla and fino or the slightly sweeter amontillado in a number of traditional bars. Our second stop is Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where manzanilla is the most prominent member of the Sherry family. Next we will visit Puerto de Santa María, another charming seaside town where authentic tabernas in town keep the tradition very much alive.
Finally, the journey ends with a visit the fabulous Moorish city of Cordoba, its warren of cobbled alleyway, the old Jewish quarter, visit one of the few remaining synagogues in Spain. We will also set out to Montilla, which is located in the same province and gives its name to the Amontillado Sherry, another excellent dry-sherry-like wine of Andalusian wines.
At the end of this journey, you should be able to distinguish the different varieties in the family of Sherry wines, and have a better grasp of the mysterious process that provides these unique wines and brandies with their particular delicate and aromatic flavour. At this point, enjoying the intensely sweet, dark, dessert sherry Pedro Ximenez will be a much more meaningful experience.
Our great Sherry route
Day 1: Seville
Arrival: Pick up at Sevilla airport, or at train station
Presentation of your guide, overview of the tour
Guided visit and accommodation in central Sevilla
Night guided tour in the lively wine bar district
Day 2: Jerez de la Frontera
Arrival and visit to Bodegas Gonzalez-Byass (Tío Pepe)
Afternoon: Free visit of Jerez or optional Hammam – Arab Bath ritual
Dinner and accommodation: Quality hotel in central Jerez
Informal lecture on the Sherry specific production and ageing process to better grasp the intricacies of the flavour and texture, and understand the terminology used.
Wine tasting of different Sherry wines aged 7+ years
Day 3: Jerez de la Frontera
The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art
Exhibition “How the Andalusian horses dance” at 12:00
Visit the stables, the chance to watch horses training, rehearsals without music or with music during shows.
Afternoon: visit and tasting session in a central sherry cellar
Dinner and accommodation in Jerez
Day 4: Jerez de la Frontera – Seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda – Jerez de la Frontera
Visit: Bodegas Barbadillo
Lunch in a traditional Andalusian patio
Afternoon or evening: Flamenco dance show
Dinner (not included in programme on this day) and accommodation in Jerez
Day 5: Seaside town of Puerto Santa María
Visit: family Bodega where you meet the owner
Lunch in a traditional Andalusian taberna
Walk on the beach or boat tour in the gulf of Cadiz
Evening: a typical Taberna
Dinner and accommodation in Puerto de Santa María
Day 6: Puerto Santa María - Cordoba
Visit: Bodega at the seaside
Lunch in a traditional restaurant
Transfer to Cordoba
Evening: visit of cobbled district of Cordoba: Alcazar, the magnificent Mezquita, patios
Walk through the winding streets and the many picturesque flower-filled courtyards and patios, stroll by the river or let your mind wander with sounds of flamenco.
Dinner and accommodation in Cordoba
We set out for a guided evening tour of central Cordoba
Day 7: Cordoba – Montilla - Cordoba
Alcázar, the magnificent Mezquita Cathedral
Trip to Montilla: Visit Bodegas + lunch in bodega/bar
Accommodation can be arranged (Sevilla, Cordoba, Madrid, and Malaga) or transfer to airport upon request.
Our first night finds us in Seville, where we stay in a traditional Andalusian house, located in the old town, a mere 10 minute walk from the cathedral. It offers a relaxing outdoor pool and 41 stylish rooms. The restaurant is a comfortable and romantic space where tapas are served in the patio or the chillout area. There is also a bar, Spa and solarium on the roof, with unique views of this historical city.
In Jerez de la Frontera, we have hand-picked a centenarian building that previously hosted wineries but was completely restored in 2004. All rooms are comfortable and stylish. You are in the town centre most wineries are within walking distance from your hotel.
Another Palace hotel, built in 1850, was restored and transformed into a luxury hotel, a unique experience for our travellers to enjoy one of the most exclusive hotels in Spain.
The Hotel in el Puerto de Santa María is located in a seventeenth century mansion that preserves the original layout and baroque architectural style. It was transformed into a modern hotel with fully equipped apartments. All apartments have an equipped kitchen, bathroom and terrace. Enjoy the solarium, a quiet haven for meditation, while looking out over the city centre of El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Córdoba: a five star boutique hotel now occupies a 16th-Century palace in the heart of the ancient Moorish city. It has a relaxing pool set in lovely gardens and a luxurious spa.
The elegant rooms marry past and present decoration styles. Some include original wall paintings from the 16th-Century palace. The rooms are an example of the uniqueness of the palace and its great artistic and architectural value. Each room is special, some are flooded with aromas coming from the indoor garden, some have vaulted ceilings or ancient stone arches from the old palace; but all have one thing in common, the distinctive architecture that enhances the exceptional decor made of pure materials.
Another hotel enjoys an excellent location in Cordoba: its doors open out into the Jewish quarter, opposite the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. Rooms are bright, spacious and comfortable. Cordoba's Arts and culture are evident in all rooms, featuring bed headboards as fine examples of Cordoban traditional handcrafting. Tradition, hospitality and service are assured.
Price inclusive:
- Accommodation in shared room (2 persons)
- Accommodation in quality hotels (3*- 4*), centrally located
- Mainland transportation to all places
- English speaking guide
- Entrance to wineries and performances
- Between 3-5 wines in each tasting sessions
- All the scheduled meals of a half board program
- All taxes and tips
NOT included in the price:
- Airfares
- Meals, services not specified
- Personal expenses
- Transfers from and to the airport for participants arriving out of scheduled window (will be subject to extra charge)
- Hammam - spa at Arabic baths
This is only an indicative price, based on average factors such as group size (5-6 pers), qualitative hotels out of high season prices, and no extras.
When we receive your enquiry and price request for wine holidays, long week-end breaks, it takes a bit of customization to include the holidays request and nature of the group before coming up with a tour proposal that meets your interests, requirements and expectations. Factors such as time of the year, group size, type of accommodation, if rooms are shared or not, duration of the tour, are essential to us to complete the quote.
A constituted group of 5 travelers and more will receive a different price per person than 2 travelers, even if these people join a pair of 2 other travelers on a specific tour.
Slow Wines will adapt the program and price according to the information you will provide us. Take the indicative price as a price tag based on criteria of good quality accommodation and a standard group of 5-6. Remember that this price evaluation needs some adjusting, and this can go slightly down or up depending on the number of persons, and what could be changed from the program. In the end, we will make a quotation which should suit your budget.
When all parties are satisfied with the proposal, we ask you to confirm the booking. Our itinerary proposal and quote has to be approved within 10 calendar days, through your booking and first deposit. Keep in mind that the price for air tickets tends to increase the closer to the date of departure the reservation is made. Book preferably your hotels and accommodation well in advance!
We ask for clarity in order to streamline the communication: your group should be represented by one spokesperson. This one-to-one dialogue has many advantages over a one-to-many communication. Communication is more direct, misunderstandings are easily avoided.
Check here the easy steps of the booking process.
- Night guided tour in Seville's lively wine bar district
- Visit an informal lecture on the Sherry specific production and ageing process to better grasp the intricacies of the flavour and texture, and understand the terminology used.
- Wine tasting of different Sherry wines aged 7+ years
- Real Shool of Equestrian Art - Visit of the stables, an opportunity to watch horses training
- Andalusian way of life in taverns and patios, its Flamenco dance and hammam
Helena Staels
With a long experience in language tourism and translation, I have dived into the Slowwines wine travel project, as a founding partner. Although I was born and raised in Belgium, Spain became my adoptive country a long time ago and that is why its genuine culture and unwritten codes have no longer secrets for me.
My interest in wine brought me to undertake extra education in Burgundy.
Each acre of vineyard leads to a human story or personal experience worth sharing. I have personally visited all of the Slowwines wineries to design the most enjoyable wine routes, lead private tours and tasting sessions. There are lots of shared moments, with winemakers and with our visitors coming from all over the world, with diverse backgrounds and interests. I am always looking forward to visiting and sharing the next winery or cellar of the Peninsula, as this revives a never ending discovery of Iberian wines.
Client Testimonials
7 days - Sherry Wines of the Mediterranean
from €1.745 pp
Places of interest
- Majestic Sevilla with its Giralda and Cathedral
- The Sherry triangle: Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa María
- The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art Foundation
- Cordoba with its famous former mosque Cathedral, the Mezquita
- Typical cathedral-like sherry bodegas