Bodegas: Manuel Aragón SL “Bodega Sanatorio”

The origins of this family bodega in Chiclana go back to 1815 when it was founded by Pedro Aragón Morales, born in 1795. He began with a small shop on the Jerez road selling wines from his bodega to local bars and to the public. His son Juan Aragón Ramos continued the business and expanded the shop and the vineyards. Juan was succeeded by his son Juan Aragón Saucedo, whose own son Diego Aragón Periñán, born in 1896, in turn succeeded him. Diego and his sons set about expanding the firm buying a house in Calle del Olivo and more vineyards. One of his sons, Manuel Aragón Baizan (b.1916) took over the business, expanding further and giving it the name we know today. The Sanatorio (or clinic) is an affectionate name for the shop.

Currently the firm, run by Chano Aragón, owns 320 hectares of vines in the Campano district, an area which was established by the 2^nd Marqués de Bertemati towards the end of the XIX century. He contributed much to the modernisation of the industry, even being the first to bring in American vines even before phylloxera arrived in Chiclana. The vineyard area was much bigger then than now, and there are many fewer bodegas - in fact 30 years ago there were 100 and now only 5. The distance between the Aragón vineyards and bodegas means that looking after them is more difficult. They used to have a problem with birds eating the grapes – until they discovered falconry! The vineyards are farmed as organically as possible and roses are planted at the ends of the vine rows to warn of any potential problems.

The vineyards are not only planted with Moscatel, but also with Palomino, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, for the table wines. While Chiclana is in the Sherry production zone, Palomino and Moscatel wine must be aged  in El Puerto, Sanlúcar or Jerez to be called “Sherry”, so the Fino, Oloroso and Cream they age in their own bodegas can only be called Chiclana wine – of which they are deservedly very proud.

The wines are:

Moscatel Gloria, Moscatel Los Cuatro, Moscatel Naranja, Fino Granero, Oloroso Tio Alejandro, Cream Arrumbaó, as well as the red white and rosé table wines. Moscatel Gloria is one of the top Moscateles.

Address: Calle del Olivo, 1, 11130 Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz

Telephone: 956 400 756

Web: www.bodegasanatorio.com

Visits? Yes, by appointment