Although perhaps best known for its production of sherry, the southern Spanish region of Andalusia also produces some highly-acclaimed wines as well as an unforgettable cultural experience.
Renowned for Spanish traditions such as bull-fighting and flamenco dancing, Andalusia is a destination that draws many tourists – attracted by the sun-kissed weather, local culture, vibrant cities including Seville, Granada and Marbella and excellent wines that are available across the region. Due to the sheer scale of the region, which encompasses most of southern Spain, Andalusia produces a wide variety of wines – with the oldest viticulture testimony dating back to the arrival of the Greeks – although its range of fortified wines are by far the most famous.
The most popular destination of origin D.O in Andalusia is Jerez where the world-famous sherry is made, mainly in Cadiz and Seville wineries – where production has become ingrained as part of local culture. In Seville, locals typically enjoy mid-morning appetizers with a cold glass of Fino.
Seville, the capital of Andalusia, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, featuring narrow streets lined with whitewashed palaces and fuschia bougainvillea cascading from balconies between romantic squares and courtyards unsurprisingly bearing orange trees. The city is also one of the best places to experience tapas bars where, in a ritual known as ‘tapeo’, locals flit between bars enjoying food and wine – while a Seville winery is the perfect place for tasting the local fare, usually from Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlucar de Barrameda
At Wine Paths, our local expert can design exclusive tours of a Seville winery and those across the surrounding areas, which can be tailormade to your exact needs to ensure every detail is taken care. These include a visit to the Pedro Domecq winery, one of the best known wineries in Spain with an international presence that admires its authenticity and Andalusian flavour. After tasting the wines and sherries on offer, VIP guests can stay in Jerez to experience the incredible dancing horses show at the Royal Andalusian Academy of Equestrian Art before returning to Seville.
Another winery in Jerez, the Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla specialises in producing brandies of only the highest categories, covered by the Regulatory Council of Brandy of Jerez, of which it is a founding owner. Visitors are given an expert guided tour of the winery before sampling some of the brandies that have received the highest national and international distinctions over the years.
The Bodegas Lustau is also an award-winning winery whose produce has become the standard bearer for sherry cocktails – while Lustau’s oenologist Manuel Lozano has been named ‘Best Fortified Wines Winemaker of the Year’ for seven consecutive years by the International Wine Challenge of London. An experience at a Seville winery should always be followed with food, and Wine Paths offers the opportunity of tasting some of the city’s, if not the world’s, finest produce. This includes a visit to the Sierra of Aracena to taste what many people consider to be the jewel in the crown of Spanish gastronomy – Iberian ham.
An expert will take you from Seville to the town of Jabugo, a mythical name in Spain for fine ham, where visitors can taste mouth-watering Iberico that has been cured in the mountain air for up to three years. Afterwards, the tour includes a gourmet lunch at Aracena before a walk to the local castle.
Visit our Andalusia destination page to learn more about our wine tours of Spain before planning a visit to the breathtakingly beautiful Seville and beyond.
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