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

Bodegas: Manuel Moreno de Mora

Manuel Moreno de Mora y Cabeza de Mier (Cádiz 1781-Cádiz 1861) was the youngest son of Juan Moreno de Mora from Santander who had married María Cabeza de Mier from Cádiz. He had established a wine business in 1783 with bodegas in Jerez, El Puerto and Sanlúcar, but on his early death Manuel’s older brother Pascual took over the business and became de facto head of the family.

Jose Pascual Moreno de Mora y Viton

 José, Manuel’s brother represented the firm’s wines in London, a major market. The Napoleonic War caused immense problems for the family with the Gibraltar border closed and a naval blockade which restricted exports to next to nothing. The actions of the occupying French army made things much worse. Pascual feared for the lives of his family, and like many other families, planned to leave, but his mother’s age and the thought of all he had worked for being confiscated changed his mind.

Manuel's business card (foto:todocoleccion.net)

Manuel married Rosario Vitón Santibáñez in 1818 and they had a son, José Pascual Moreno de Mora y Vitón (1825-1908) and a daughter María Manuela who married John Peter Gassiot. His firm, best known as Martínez Gassiot, bought their Sherry from Mora. In 1830 Pascual died without issue leaving everything equally to his brothers and sister, but it was Manuel who inherited the business. 

The Puerto de Santa María bodegas were in the Calle Valdés, Calle de los Moros and various other locations in the Campo de Guia area and in Jerez. He was intelligent and hard-working and built up the business considerably building a magnificent house in the Calle Ancha and many other properties.

Vineyards and caserio (foto:todocoleccion)

With the failing health of Manuel, José Pascual took over the running of the firm in 1857 being very successful in both the wine and other businesses. He was a well-known figure in the circles of the Cádiz bourgeoisie, and became a great benefactor. Manuel died in 1861 aged 79, a very successful and wealthy property owner and bodeguero. The firm was awarded the Royal Warrant in 1875 by King Alfonso XII who later visited with Queen María Cristina in 1877. 

Jose Moreno de Mora (foto:lavozdigital)

When Henry Vizetelly visited in 1876 he was impressed. He noted stocks of 10,000 butts and the use of wheeled platforms for the arrumbadores which avoided them having to climb up and down the rows of butts repeatedly. There were floral parterres, orange trees, steaming machinery for washing butts and moistening staves, cooperages and beautiful Moscatel at £300 the butt, expensive then.

The bodega La Mora in El Puerto (foto:Osborne)

José Pascual was getting old and as he had no children the firm was sold off to Cuvillo and Carlos & Javier de Terry except for one bodega which was bought by Osborne who named it bodega “La Mora” in honour of this respectable old firm. José Pascual died in 1908.