I'm planning to visit Spain and wondering what sherry (jerez) I should
look for?
I plan to visit Madrid, Granada and Jerez. I could probably pick up some
sparkling wine (cava) and red (rioja) too.

Warren Place

Warren Place > wrote in
:

> I'm planning to visit Spain and wondering what sherry (jerez) I should
> look for?
> I plan to visit Madrid, Granada and Jerez. I could probably pick up some
> sparkling wine (cava) and red (rioja) too.

Warren,

If Madrid is your entrance and exit point to your visit to Spain, I
strongly suggest that you reserve a couple of hours in your last day and
visit Lavinia in 16, Ortega y Gasset, close to Plaza Colón. Not only they
have an excellent selection of Spanish wine, but the people working there
are knowleadgeable about wine. ALso, if you plan to buy sherry, freshness
is an important issue, their stocks do rotate and they keep the wine in
good condition (clima-controlled). They are not cheap, but you get the best
service in Spain. They will also pack the wine properly for a trip, using
bottle-packs so the wine does not suffer.

Best,

Santiago

Dear Warren,

When visiting Jerez, I strongly recommend you to book a visit at Lustau,
http://www.emilio-lustau.com
They do not have regular visits so you need to phone in advance.

It's not the biggest bodega, but IMHO the best.
Jerez is not that big so you can easily walk to the bodega at Calle Arcos from your hotel
(we stayed in a small but nice hotel called Trujillo at Calle Medina, just a few
blocks from Lustau).

They provide both "normal" belnded sherries in the whole range from finos, manzanillas
to full-bodied olorosos and PX.

They also sells a limited amount of "Almacenistas" (you may call these vines the the single malt analogue in the sherry world).

When I visisted Lustau a few weeks ago you could buy sone vines at the bodega,
but next year they will have a boutique will a bigger repertoire.

I bought:
Manzanilla Papirusa (delicate, stone dry, mervelous)
Puerto Fino (delicate, stone dry, mervelous)
(they were both IMHO better than the fino)
Palo Cortado Almacenista Vides (unparalleled, like a "light" cognac)
Oloroso Eperatriz Eugenia
Old East India

BTW, also try some Jamon Iberico Pata Negra Bellota, together with a good fino/manzanilla its unbeatable.

Regards,
/Mats

PS: Try also to visit the nearby town Sanlucar de Barameda, where the Manzanillas are made.
Lustau has a small bodega there for their manzanillas but I've never been able to visit it.

PPS: Regarding more "normal" red vines, I strongly recommend you to investigate the Ribera del Dueros.

Warren Place wrote:
> I'm planning to visit Spain and wondering what sherry (jerez) I should
> look for?
> I plan to visit Madrid, Granada and Jerez. I could probably pick up some
> sparkling wine (cava) and red (rioja) too.
>
> Warren Place
>