17.4.13 Solear at the Feria; Castillo Matrera Collapses

Antonio Barbadillo's Manzanilla Solear is expected to sell around 600,000 1/2 bottles at the Feria de Sevilla this week. This represents about 40% of the 1.5 million consumed annually. It will be available in 500 casetas and the company will have a staff of 100 working there. Manzanilla La Guita will also have a strong presence. Now that the Feria season has started, sales of Sherry are on the up. It is the busiest time of year apart from Christmas, and some of the Jerez bodegas are taking an interest. Traditionally, they have concentrated more on exports, but Gonzalez Byass, for example is keen.

Of the 10 million bottles of Manzanilla sold annually, one third come from Barbadillo.


The XIIIC Castillo Matrera, commonly known as the Torre Pajarete has suffered a major structural collapse. Lack of maintenance and recent heavy rainfall weakened parts of the building, and walls, a couple of storeys and a vault have all fallen down.

The castle, near Villamartin, a little east of Jerez and outside the Sherry zone, sits at the top of a sierra at about 525 metres altitude and has a commanding view in all directions. It was built by the Moors, and later formed part of the "banda morisca", a series of fortifications to protect Sevilla from them.

The area once had vineyards which produced very sweet wines, which, of course, were known as Pajarete (or in English, Paxarette). Nowadays, though not much used, Pajarete tends to be a blend of must or wine and arrope or sancocho (both made by reducing must over heat to produce very sweet wine). Pajarete was very popular with Whisky distillers for seasoning casks.