The Grape Harvest Begins in the Marco de Jerez

The Grape Harvest Begins in the Marco de Jerez

The wines of Jerez de la Frontera have more than 3000 years of history with the arrival of the Romans and today it is one of the most exported wines from Spain. During 2014, Jerez was chosen as the European City of Wine, an award that recognizes the good work of a land of winesTalking about "Jerez wine" does not mean that we are referring to only one type of wine since we can find a large number of wines. Fino is the classic aperitif, which pairs perfectly with fish, seafood, with a powerful flower flavor. Amontillado, a wine that has been under the famous "veil of flower" for a time and is probably the wine most unknown by the consumer but is ideal to consume with rice, risottos, cheeses, patés... has a very powerful almond and wood flavor in the mouth. The oloroso is characterized by having only undergone oxidative aging and pairs very well with all types of meats, Manchego cheeses...

Magellan managed to reach America thanks to sherry wine, since water used to be a source of bacteria that was a problem on board a ship, which is why Magellan brought more liters of sherry than weapons.

Wine is an integral part of the identity, gastronomy and culture of our land. Although there are white and red wines from various origins, sherry wine has an unmatched uniqueness. Its unique character allows it to be identified just by tasting it, which makes it a truly exquisite drink.

The production of sherry wine is an ancient process that perfectly combines nature, tradition and technology. Over the years, it has reached a level of complexity and outstanding quality standards, although in essence, the process remains the same as that used by our ancestors.

The Harvest

The harvest is a crucial stage in the production of sherry wine. Although there is no exact date for starting the harvest, it usually occurs between August and September. The optimal moment depends on the degree of ripeness of the grape, which must reach at least 10.5º baumé. The ripening indicators are:

The green stem of the vine turns darkThe grape "gives up": it becomes soft and sweetIt is crucial that the grapes reach the winery quickly and in the best possible condition, regardless of the harvesting method used (mechanical or manual, with the use of vehicles with small dumpers that can enter the vineyards and are able to transport the grapes quickly and hygienically.

This is a very important aspect since the high temperatures recorded during the harvest season can cause oxidation of the must and even uncontrolled fermentation during the transport process.

The grapes of the “Palomino” variety are transported once they have been cut as soon as possible to the wineries, and in the case of the grapes of the “Pedro Ximénez” and “Moscatel” varieties, they are placed outdoors for sun exposure, on esparto grass mats, with the aim of achieving the drying of the grapes.

Vinification:

Once the grapes have dried, the grapes are transported to the winery as soon as possible. Once the grapes arrive at the winery, the Regulatory Council checks the weight to ensure that the production limits per plot set for each year are not exceeded. The grapes are unloaded into a receiving hopper at the base of which there is a system of worm screws that transport the grapes to the mill, in order to facilitate the operation of extracting the must by the effect of pressure. The skin of the grape is broken by milling.

The musts are prepared before fermentation to prevent oxidation and bacterial contamination, as well as to improve the aromatic fineness of the wines they will produce. Once filtered, they are subjected to a pH correction by adding tartaric acid. Fermentation is usually started by means of the so-called "vat feet". When the musts are clean and in the fermentation tanks, a variable proportion of between 2 and 10% of the total volume of a must in full fermentation is added to them: this reduces the start time of fermentation and at the same time allows the introduction of a previously selected yeast strain as a fermentative agent. In general, complete fermentation can be divided into two phases: the first called "tumultuous fermentation" and the second called "slow fermentation". Tumultuous fermentation has a variable duration, depending on the composition of the must and the temperature at which it is carried out.

The gradual reproduction of these microorganisms ends up forming a veil that ends up completely covering the surface of the wine, in such a way that it prevents direct contact with the air and is thus protected from oxidation. The existence of flor in the wine is only possible within a certain range of alcohol content, which will have very interesting consequences when the winemaker makes his decisions about the type of sherry he wants to make.

Fortification:

Towards the end of December, the new wines have been separated from the solid sediments formed after fermentation and are ready for their first classification.

Those that present a special paleness and finesse obtained without pressure or with very light pressure, will be destined for subsequent ageing as finos or manzanillas until they reach a total alcohol content of 15º, those that present a greater structure will be destined to obtain oloroso wines until they reach at least 17º of alcohol content.

Ageing:

The traditional ageing system for Jerez wines is called the "Criaderas and Solera System"

Bottling:

Once the barrels have been removed from the solera, the wine is ready for bottling. Each time the bottling is done as the label demands so that the wine continues to live inside the barrel.

There are many very good wineries in the area, which are basically differentiated by the distance from the sea, where the Manzanilla Flower is most alive.

We are in the middle of harvesting the blessed grapes from the fields of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Jerez. From these bunches will come the best wines of the area, such as Manzanilla, Pedro Jimenez or the famous amontillados from this rich and exclusive corner.

From THE SUN PLACES, we invite you to come to our luxury apartments in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and try these very special wines as well as its immense gastronomy