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    Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

    Spain

    White soil under a southern sun, and wine that ages under a living film of yeast.

    30–50° N30–50° SequatorJerez
    Vineyard area
    7 000 ha1
    Country
    Spain
    Rocks in the profile
    chalk

    Albariza

    The typical soil is albariza, a soft white marl.2 It normally holds 25 to 40% calcium carbonate and retains moisture well.2 The profile draws it with the chalk layer as the closest visual type: this is a schematic choice, because albariza is in fact a marl.2

    chalk
    Schematic profile based on the sources, not to scale.

    The vineyards lie on hills whose slopes are normally between 10 and 15%.2 There are more than 300 days of sun a year, and mean annual rainfall is about 600 litres per square metre.2

    Flor and solera

    Biological ageing happens under the velo de flor, a film of yeasts on the free surface of the wine.2 Criaderas y solera is a dynamic system: wine is drawn from the casks of each scale and topped up with younger wine, and the last scale is called the solera.2 Vinos generosos must age for an average of at least two years.2

    Grapes and the Consejo

    The main grape is Palomino Fino, with Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel de Alejandría for naturally sweet wines.2 The Consejo Regulador names Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda as the ageing zone, and puts today's vineyard at about 7,000 hectares.1

    Timeline

    1. 1933

      Spain's first national wine law, with which the DO is born.1

    2. 1935

      January: publication of the first regulation of a designation of origin in Spain.2

    Soils

    Sources

    1. La Denominación de Origen (presentación). Consejo Regulador de las DD.OO. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda y Vinagre de Jerez. level 4 · checked 2026-10-13
    2. Pliego de condiciones de la DOP « Jerez-Xérès-Sherry » (consolidado según Orden de 4 de octubre de 2022, BOJA núm. 195). Consejo Regulador de las DD.OO. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda y Vinagre de Jerez, 2022. level 1 · checked 2026-10-13