Spanish Bullfighting: The Romance, the Drama and the Traditional Recipes

Recently, the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia (or Catalunya) voted to ban bullfighting; which consequently, provoked me to write an article. Since moving to Spain in 2005, I have attempted to understand the “corrida de toros” – the bullfight. I have tried to learn as much as possible, both the pro and con; and yes, […] Continue Reading →

Palo Cortado, a Different Kind of Sherry

The WSET Diploma fortified wine exam was nailed down earlier this year. The next exam is sparkling wines so I have been sticking to the bubbly stuff since then. Not much else has made it through my front door, so just for a change, I thought I’d have a copa of sherry tonight. Something slightly […] Continue Reading →

Fiestas de la Vendimia: Tasting Sherry During the Harvest Festival in Jerez

The Jerez “Fiestas de la Vendimia” or harvest festival, which first happened in 1948, is in full swing at the moment. This is one harvest festival which is worth a visit, especially if you are keen on Sherry. This year the festival started on the 5th of September and ends on the 20th, so three […] Continue Reading →

Studying for the WSET with Fortified Spanish and Portuguese Wines

About 3 years after bagging the certificate – I have no idea how the time flew by so fast – I finally signed up to the WSET diploma late in 2008. My first two exams were in March 2009. One about viticulture and vinification in what my father likes to call the “multiple-guess” format. The […] Continue Reading →

Sherry at the London International Wine Fair (LIWF)

The first place to start a sherry tour at the London International Wine Fair is at the official stand. This year, the Sherry Institute had set up a long bar-style stand. Lined up along this bar were about 50 bottles, possibly more, of all styles and from many producers. I thought this made for a […] Continue Reading →

What Happened to His Sherry Butt?

The British have a unique national constitution: It’s unwritten. One result of this is a Monarchy, without power, but with some fairly weird and wonderful plug-ins and add-ons. Some people say this is all a complete waste of time and tax-payers’ money, and should be done away with ASAP. Others think this system holds the […] Continue Reading →

Vinoble 2010: Budget cut and out to tender

This has been going around the rumour mill for some time, but it’s now official. Vinoble, the biennial fair specialising in sweet and fortified wine, has been put out to tender by the Jerez town hall. This is the first time the contract for running this wine fair has been offered. Opus Wine, headed up by […] Continue Reading →

The Pointy Hat Brigade: Holy Week in Southern Spain

When I first saw the pointy hats, it was slightly unnerving. For most people, the associations are obvious. Thankfully pointy hat wearing in Jerez started way before the Klan was formed, so nothing to do with each other apart from the style of hat. The pointy hat brigade, as my collegue likes to call them, […] Continue Reading →

Gibraltar: An Iberian Melting Pot

Last week I made the hour-long trip from my home in Jerez to Gibraltar to meet friends at the airport there. I am always up for a trip to this interesting and some might say anachronistic place. The Spanish certainly view Gibraltar as an anachronism. For me, Gibraltar is a fascinating place, full of history (especially […] Continue Reading →

Bodegas Tradicion: Keeping the Best Traditions Alive

Editors Note: Our Correspondent Justin Roberts had the chance to do something both Gabriella and I wish we could have. Living in Jerez, he made a quick trip over to Bodegas Tradicion to give you a bit more background on this intersting winery that we talked about a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy. You don’t […] Continue Reading →