Spanish sun and a visit to Bodegas Luis Perez in Jerez de la Frontera

Sun, food, wine, rich culture – Spain has it all. I’ve travelled all over the world yet something about this country keeps me coming back. It’s not to the glamorous twinkly lights of the big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, but to the more humble, rustic and authentic parts – Jerez being my favourite of them all. On a 10 day trip to this ancient Andalusian city we took a break halfway through, stepping away from what this city is known for, Sherry and heading into the countryside to try some of its wine at the uber modern, Bodegas Luis Perez.

The winery was just a short 15 minute drive from the centre of Jerez, up high in the rolling hills which are mostly filled with the Palamino grape used for sherry production, but not here at Luis Perez. They have a small quantity of the Spanish grape of course but they’re not making sherry here, they’re making wine. Mr Luis Perez looks after this magnificent estate, working with a long line of family members to create quality, affordable wine which never compromises on quality. This is very much a family business which you’ll discover – from the architectural design of the site, artistic label designs and the whole wine making process. We first stepped into the large events room after arriving which can be hired out, offering some of the best views in Jerez.

A little windy when we visited, but a scorching 36 degrees heat left us gasping to try the wines, but not before an introduction to a little more of its beauty. It really is so striking up here. The whole area has been so well designed, all of the glass and wood seems to melt into the landscape and the smell is divine. Everywhere you walk the gusts of wind fill your nose with sweet floral scents and a touch of honeysuckle. Even if they didn’t make wine – I’d still visit just to spend time in the grounds.

Guided tours last for approx 90-120 minutes here and cost just 15 euro. It’s too cheap if you ask me but a great way to introduce the wines to tourists. After hearing lots about this family’s history and how involved even today Mr Luis Perez is with the business, we wondered down to the vineyards. The white chalky soils look as dry as a bone but we’re told that stressing the vines is a good thing here. Too much water means too many grapes and as they focus on quality here, small bunches are needed for grapes with better concentration. Surprisingly the grapes grown here aren’t very Spanish, but French varietals which seem to be thriving in this heat. We see lots of Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot and a local variety, Tintilla de Rota.

Before getting blown away by the gale forced winds we seemed to have brought with us, we made our way into the winery. The best time to visit this bodega is really during harvest season later in the year, where you’ll be able to see the grapes being harvested and the whole wine-making process. During this time the grapes are strictly handpicked to ensure quality and performed during the night. This not only makes it easier for the pickers, but keeps the grapes as fresh as possible. From here they’re de-stemmed and sorted on a sorting table, before being pressed and eventually – turned into delicious wine. The best part of the winery is getting to see the room in which these wines lay to rest in barrel, ageing and taking on flavour from vanilla scented American oak. One wine which really caught our eye was the Garum Submarino. If you look closely at the wines on the barrel you may notice an ancient looking amphora. Inside is a standard bottle of the bodega’s Garum wine which has been aged at the bottom of the sea, placed by divers. The Marismilla rose, a relatively new wine for this family – we later discovered to be one of our favourite wines.

Time to try the wines! From the winery we made our way into the old (renovated) cottage. Yet another place of beauty. Perfect for wedding celebrations, large group tastings – or like us taking over the whole space for just the two of us. The lounge area is home to a beautiful hand decorated fireplace and even the coffee table was visioned up by the family – the table top is an old door salvaged from the building.

The tour includes a tasting of the estates top wines and a plate of delicious snacks prepared by the kitchen. Two local cheeses, Iberico ham and carne mechada – the local herb crusted ham given a twist with some slow cooked onions hiding underneath. As for the wines we fell in love with the new Marismilla rose, with intense flavours of sweet strawberry on the nose, but completely dry and refreshing on the pallet. Garum, the top seller is red compromised of Merlot 70%, Syrah 10%, Tempranillo 10% Petit Verdot 9% & Cabernet Sauvignon 1%. No wonder it’s their top seller, it’s so easy to drink. Saving the best till last, Samaruco is the wine with all the attitude. A mixture of Petit Verdot 40%, Merlot 30% and Syrah 30%. Silky smooth tannis, lingering dark fruits and touch of firm acidity. They even make their only olive oil and to our surprise their own unique Sherry, but shhhh, it’s a well-kept secret – for now.

We really loved our visit to Bodega Luis Perez and when next visiting Jerez this will always been on our to do list, even if just to sit out on the terrace and enjoy a bottle of wine. There is so much passion behind the scenes and only a visit here will truly explain that to the full extent. If you’re looking for views, lovely people and delicious wines then a visit to Bodega Luis Perez should be at the top of your list when not only visiting Jerez, but anywhere in the sun drenched Andalusia.

To book a visit to Bodegas Luis Perez you can visit their website HERE for more details.