Wine tourism in the Sherry Triangle of Jerez

Few wines tell as singular a story as sherry. Visiting the Marco means stepping into its «wine cathedrals», discovering the magic of the criaderas y solera system, tasting everything from fino to Pedro Ximénez, and ending the day at a tabanco with live flamenco. This is the complete guide to the three towns.

See wineries in Jerez →Getting there ↓

3 townsJerez, El Puerto and Sanlúcar

6 stylesfrom fino to Pedro Ximénez

Soleracriaderas and unique ageing

// The three towns

The Sherry Triangle.

The «Sherry Triangle» (Marco de Jerez) is formed by Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz. Each town brings something different: Jerez, the great historic wineries; El Puerto, its elegant finos; and Sanlúcar, manzanilla, a unique biological ageing that only happens by the sea, with its unmistakable salty edge.

The three towns sit close together, so you can taste each one's speciality and string together visits over a single weekend. It is one of the most atmospheric corners of Andalusia, where wine, horses and flamenco are part of daily life.

Historic sherry winery in the Marco de Jerez, province of Cádiz — The great historic wineries of the Marco, in Jerez de la Frontera.

Ageing casks stacked in a winery of the Sherry Triangle — The casks rest stacked in the criaderas y solera system.

// A world in a glass

The wines of Jerez.

Sherry is a whole world in a glass. The dry styles range from fino and manzanilla —biological ageing, light and saline— to amontillado and oloroso —oxidative ageing, fuller-bodied—, with the rare and elegant palo cortado in between. Among the sweet wines, Pedro Ximénez reigns supreme: dense and velvety. Understanding them is part of the pleasure of the visit.

// How it is aged

The magic of the solera.

Sherry is aged using the criaderas y solera system: casks are stacked in several tiers and the wine is blended across vintages, so every bottle carries a little of many different years. This system, together with biological ageing under the flor —a living layer of yeast that protects the wine—, makes sherry a truly one-of-a-kind wine.

In oxidative ageing, by contrast, the wine matures in contact with air and gains colour, body and more intense aromas: this is how amontillado and oloroso are born. Seeing the casks up close in the half-light, drawing a sample with the venencia and tasting straight from the solera is the essence of visiting the Marco.

Ageing hall in a winery of the Marco de Jerez, in Cádiz — Biological ageing under the flor and oxidative ageing, in a winery of the Marco.

// Monumental halls

The wine cathedrals.

Jerez's great wineries —with their soaring, arched bodegas and packed-earth albero floors, the famous «wine cathedrals» designed to keep the humidity and half-light just right— offer some of the most thorough tours around, often including a tasting of the full range. It's one of the most educational and spectacular wine tourism experiences out there, and many wineries add experiences with flamenco, tapas or even Carthusian horses.

// Wine, horses and flamenco

Tabancos, food and flamenco.

Jerez is a land where three passions collide: wine, horses and flamenco. Beyond the wineries, the life of sherry beats in the tabancos and at the table:

Tabancos: historic taverns where you can taste sherry straight from the cask at down-to-earth prices, many with live flamenco.
Food: fried fish (pescaíto frito), seafood stews, almadraba tuna and the perfect pairing of fino with cured ham and olives.
Equestrian shows —the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is famous— and flamenco tablaos deeply tied to local culture.
When to go: Jerez's Fiesta de la Vendimia (grape harvest festival, September) and the Feria del Caballo are both a must.

Family winery in the Marco de Jerez where you can taste fino, oloroso and manzanilla — Family wineries and tabancos where you can taste from fino to manzanilla.

Book your visit to a winery in the Marco

Choose the winery, the experience and the date, and book your tasting or guided tour online in Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María or Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Instant confirmation and secure payment.

See wineries in Jerez →All of D.O. Jerez

// Getting there

Getting there and planning your trip.

The Marco is very well connected: Jerez de la Frontera has its own airport and a train station served by the AVE high-speed line, and Seville is less than an hour away. The three towns of the triangle —Jerez, El Puerto and Sanlúcar— sit close together, so you can easily combine wineries from all three over a weekend and taste fino, oloroso and manzanilla right at their source.

It's a good idea to book one large historic winery, one smaller family-run one, and set aside an evening for the tabancos. In summer, start early: the Cádiz heat can be intense. Book your visits in advance, especially in spring and during the Feria del Caballo.

// Centuries of history

A wine with centuries of history.

Sherry is one of the oldest and most well-travelled wines in the world. The Phoenicians were already planting vines here almost three thousand years ago, and for centuries «sherry» conquered international markets, especially Britain's, to the point that many great wineries were founded by families of English and Irish descent.

That export-driven history explains the cathedral-like scale of its wineries and its global fame. Today, after years of reinvention, sherry is enjoying a renaissance among wine lovers worldwide, who are rediscovering the enormous food-pairing versatility and complexity of these unique wines.

// For your trip

Tips for visiting the Marco.

To make the most of your trip, split your visits across the three towns of the triangle and try each one's speciality: fino and oloroso in Jerez, finos in El Puerto, manzanilla in Sanlúcar. Start with a large historic winery to understand the solera, then follow up with a smaller one for a more personal touch. Save an evening for the tabancos and flamenco.

In summer, get an early start to beat the heat, and don't leave without trying fino paired with ham, olives and fried fish. Visiting the Marco de Jerez is one of the most complete and singular wine tourism experiences in Spain: a wine with centuries of history, an ageing method found nowhere else, and an atmosphere of horses, flamenco and great food. Discover and book the wineries of Jerez by town and experience.

// Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Sherry Triangle.

Which towns make up the Sherry Triangle?

The Sherry Triangle (Marco de Jerez) is formed by Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz. Manzanilla is aged in Sanlúcar, right by the sea.

What is the criaderas y solera system?

It is the ageing method used for sherry: casks are stacked in several tiers and the wine is blended across vintages, so every bottle carries a little of many different years. It works alongside biological ageing under the flor and oxidative ageing.

How do you get to the Sherry Triangle?

Jerez de la Frontera has its own airport and a train station served by the AVE high-speed line, and Seville is less than an hour away. The three towns sit close together, so you can combine wineries from all three over a weekend.

Your escape to the Sherry Triangle awaits.

Choose your winery, book your tasting or guided tour, and raise a glass of fino, oloroso and manzanilla in Jerez, El Puerto and Sanlúcar.

See wineries in Jerez →