car hire Jerez De La Frontera

Jerez, a city in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, first attracted a sizable population during Phoenician times, but did not develop in a major way until the Moors set up shop there. Often called Jerez de la Frontera thanks to its position on the border (or frontier) between Christian Spain and Moorish Spain, the city was the battleground for many clashes along this dividing line. A number of the mosques were converted to churches when the area became Christianized. Over time, Jerez evolved into a prominent wine-making spot, with a famed focus on sherry. Today, Jerez is the elite sherry producer in the world, deriving much of its tourism from the visitors who frequent the 100-plus wine "bodegas" in and around the city centre.

A perfect start to an evening out in Jerez involves some sipping of the fine local sherry and sharing plates of delicious tapas. Las Botas and Bar Alegría are both fitting places for this. Once you've indulged to your satisfaction, chedk out a local flamenco performance. El Lagá de Tío Parrilla is a respected venue offering top-notch shows nearly every night.

Wine buffs will be more than pleased by the abundance of bodegas in and around Jerez. Almost all of the winery tours will give you a good picture of the lifecycle of sherry, from a room where they press and sort the actual grapes, to the building where it is bottled, to the big oak casks where the beloved elixir is aged. British travellers often favor the Harveys of Bristol bodega. The acclaimed Dry Sack Medium Sherry is produced at Williams & Humbert Limited, and Domecq and González Byass are also popular.

If you find yourself in Jerez over a weekend or in August, chances are good that most bodegas will be shuttered. In that case, consider a side trip to the village of Lebrija, just a 15-kilometre drive away. (You can retrieve your hire car quickly at Jerez Airport.) Lebrija is also a leading sherry-maker, and its bodegas tend to be a bit more casual than those in Jerez proper. The drive also affords scenic views of the rural Spanish countryside.