Festivals - The Vendimia Festival

Simon Zolan reports

In most wine-growing districts of Spain, the vintage begins on the feast of St Matthew (21st September). In Jerez it starts officially on 8th September, the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady.

Dating from only 1948, the vintage festival is held at a weekend as close as possible to 8th September. The first grapes may be picked a week early, especially if the weather has been very dry and sunny. Frequently the vintage is a week late and lasts about a month.

The programme each year ís different but it usually starts with a Grand Procession on the Friday. The Queen of the Vintage occupies the seat of honour and is surrounded by her handmaidens, all chosen from the beautiful girls of Jerez, wearing white dresses and blue silk scarves, representing the white chalky soil and blue sky that give life and body to the vines.

With pomp and ceremony they are driven through the streets on carts decorated with grapes and foliage. Children swarm by, hoping to catch sweets thrown down from the floats and by courtiers. Men from the town bring up the rear wearing festive masks.

The Vendemia of Jerez.

Before the fireworks begin, the procession winds up in the Plaza de Arenal, where the towns gives homage to the queen and the "bodegas" offer wine. The fiesta is always dedicated to the honour of some individual or country where where sherry is popular. In 1956 it was dedicated to England and Shakespeare.

During the next few days both public and private parities fuel the atmosphere of rejoicing, day and night. There are bullfights in honour of the ladies of Jerez with the finest toreros, with young bullfighters and even a comic bullfight. There is a horse show, perhaps a motorcycle race, art exhibition, concert and of course flamenco dance, apart from spontaneous dancing and merrymaking in the streets. There is no time to sleep!

The most important ceremony is the Blessing of the Grapes which takes place on the Sunday after a solemn mass in the Collegiate Church. The architecture may be questionable, but it is a perfect setting for the ceremony. The writer Richard Ford visited Jerez in mid-9th century and was unimpressed: "The Colegiata, begun in 1695, is a vile churrigueresque; the architect did not by accident stumble on one sound rule, or deviate into the commonest sense: but the wines of Jerez are in better taste than the temples, now-a-days more go to the cellar than to the church..."

The priest gives his blessing and the choir bursts into song. The queen casts her basket of grapes into the "lagar" (a rectangular wooden wine press). Slowly, the four workmen in short trousers but not barefoot (they wear special boots to crush the grapes not the pips and stalks) begin the first pressing of the vintage. Suddenly the air is filled with white doves and bells ring jubilantly from the tower. In the evening the town makes haste to the "feria". The celebrations have only just begun!

Dates for 2008 Fiestas de la Vendimia in Andalucia

The sherry Harvest, Jerez.

Málaga Province
Cómpeta, Fiesta del Vino in the Plaza de la Vendimia - August 15
Iznate - August (first Saturday) -
La Viñuela Raisin Festival - September 19 and 20
Moclinejo - September 14
Manilva – September (first Sunday)

Córdoba Province
Montilla - September 6 and 7   

Cádiz Province
Jerez - September 12 to 24

SanlÚcar Manzanilla (Wine) Fair

A lively fair dedicated to the Manzanilla which is a special dry sherry wine produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. This intense fair which is organised by the town council and supported by the local wine producers last for several days about the third week in May.

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