Although it is a large bodega - as well as being the oldest in Jerez, dating from 1730 - this is smaller than Tio Pepe, and consequently the tour feels more personal. Also located in the city centre, it features a 16th-century former convent whose cloisters and orange-tree-lined patio are now used for events. There is also a garden from 1823.
Harveys Bristol Cream is still the best-selling sherry in the world. The company dates from 1796, when it was founded by John Harvey in, you guessed it, Bristol. Throughout the 19th century Harvey imported sherry from Spain to UK, and distributed it around the world. Then, in the 1970s, the company decided to invest in its own bodegas in Jerez.
Their most famous sherry, Tio Pepe (you´ll recognise the logo, a bottle with a red hat and jacket, and a guitar), gives its name to these bodegas. The company dates from 1835, which makes it one of the newer of the great sherry dynasties in Jerez.
Like so many towns in Andalucía the approach to El Puerto de Santa María along the main road is lined with garages, industrial plants and run down buildings. Keep going and cross the River Guadalete on the NIV (if coming from south) and turn into Calle Ribiera de los Mariscos and park in one of the car parks signposted.
If you're a wine lover, then a private tour to the Viña La Constancia winery offers the perfect blend of tasting and education. You'll get to enjoy eight glasses and discover all there is to know about the wine grown in Marco de Jerez.
Delve into historical Andalusia on this full-day trip to Jerez and Cádiz from Seville. Visit Jerez, famous for its sherry and horsemanship, and tour a bodega to learn how the local sherry is made.
The traditional Malaga sweet desert wines (DO Malaga) are produced mainly from the Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grape varieties - the Moscatel de Alejandría, and Moscatel Morisco.
Wine has been produced in Malaga province since Phoenician times, and the tradition was famously continued by the Romans, and subsequently the Moors for medicinal purposes. After the reconquest of Malaga in 1487 the Catholic Monarchs realised that wine was useful in keeping the city's residents happy, and they helped establish the Hermandad Sacramental de Viñeros.
