Bodegas: Carlos & Javier de Terry “501 Del Puerto”

The Terry family of Cork in Ireland were extremely successful merchants but problems with the English led some of them to establish themselves on the continent where much trade was already done, and others in the Americas. William Terry bought vineyards and olive groves near El Puerto de Santa María in 1762 and set himself up in the wine business, successfully exporting wine to the Americas. He also bred the famous Carthusian horses.

The bodegas in El Puerto (foto: gentedelpuerto.com)

A number of branches of the family lived in Spain and Carlos and Javier de Terry were related to Fernando Ángel Terry del Cuvillo of Bodegas Terry. At about the end of the XIX century they bought some XVIII century soleras from Manuel Moreno de Mora and established the firm under the name of Carlos & Javier de Terry SL. Osborne meanwhile, bought one of the bodegas, which is still called “La Mora”. The firm prospered initially, and their Brandy 501 was a runaway success, but things became more difficult by the 1960s.

The sacristia at 501 (foto:gentedelpuerto.com)

In 1993 Pedro Torres, a director of the Banco de Andalucía, and a partner bought the firm which was re-named Bodegas 501 de El Puerto SA to avoid Confusion with the firm Fernando A de Terry. The firm was modernised and the classic brandy “501” was re-introduced. Later it passed entirely to the Torres family. Pedro’s son, José Carlos Torres Gázquez has run the business since 1998.

Interior of the bodegas 

An agreement was signed with Osborne in 2009 whereby the latter would make the 501 Brandy for an initial period of 3 years at their bodega El Tiro which is state of the art, but under the supervision of the 501 technical people. Interestingly El Tiro is so called because it was built on ground once used for clay pigeon shooting (in Spanish Tiro de Pichón). Brandy 501 is in the top 4 solera brandies in Spain and is widely exported.

Zurbaran was a famous painter (foto:todocoleccion.net)

Finding it increasingly difficult to operate profitably in an area which the council would like to see converted into flats, Bodegas 501 signed an agreement with Bodegas Sánchez Romate in 2010. This meant the latter would undertake, at their bodegas in Jerez, the production, ageing and bottling of all 501 products destined for export. All stocks now lie at Sánchez Romate.

Sherries include Fino Marinero, Fino Mariscos, Fino María Cruz, Cream Zurbarán, Oloroso Tercios, 501 Gades PX, Amontillado VOS and Viejo, Also Vinagre 501 vinegar