Sunday, 30 July 2017

30.7.17 La Bodeguita to Open to Public

The town council of Jerez has decided to open its own little bodega, known as “la bodeguita” to the public, and work to repair some butts and smarten up the space is already under way in the hope that it will be ready in autumn. The plan is to open it during the Fiestas de la Vendimia, or at the latest on the 9th of October, the day of the patron saint of Jerez, San Dionisio.

The bodeguita was created in 1991 by Pedro Pacheco who was mayor at the time, and is in the town hall buildings in Calle Consistorio. The council has been in talks with various bodegas asking them to supply wine and butts since a dozen of these were past repair, but the heads have been retained so as to exhibit the signatures of various personalities. In fact, given the small size of la bodeguita (30 square metres) the barrels are half butts of 250 litres.



The oenologists Antonio Flores (González Byass) and Eduardo Ojeda (Grupo Estévez) have both visited the bodeguita to assess the condition of the wine, while the Julio cooperage has been working on the butts and running the scales at the request of Fundador. Estévez have sent a specialist to repaint the signatures and restoration of posters and paintings, some of which are fine works of art, is also in hand.

Still to be established are opening times, entry prices and whether a tasting should be made available. The idea is not to compete with commercial bodegas but to stimulate visitors to visit the commercial bodegas and buy their wine.

Many bodegas originally donated butts of wine to the bodeguita: González Byass, Williams & Humbert, Sánchez Romate, Domecq (now Fundador), Lustau, Fernando de Castilla, Osborne and Sandeman. Now there will also be wine from Grupo Estévez, Diez Mérito and Tradición. There is no Fino, but there is Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and Cream, all of very fine quality, and the bodegas themselves will look after it as it is a shop window for their products.

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