Manzanilla Piconera 15%, Bodegas J Ferris

Appearance
Very pale strawy gold, light legs.
Nose
Gentle flor influence: hints of camomile, almond and traces of palomino fruit with a definite saline tinge and a fine trace of yeast autolysis.
Palate
Light and fresh, very clean with notes of bread dough, almond, and flor and marine salinity. Young fresh, gentle and refreshing with a decent tang - a "session" Manzanilla ( perfect for a good few glasses with a long, unhurried lunch of seafood on the Bajo de Guia in Sanlucar....)
Comments
Young, inexpensive and uncomplicated, but has a certain charm. Palomino y Vergara had a Manzanilla some time ago called "La Piconera", but whose label sported a dandy with a glass of Sherry, rather than a woman. A piconera is a woman who sells coal (or was once). Remember, Manzanilla is always feminine, so what a male dandy had to do with a female coal seller, goodness knows. Nevertheless the P&V Manzanilla was certainly more complex. But, alas, not any longer available.
Price
Around 5 euros in Spain. Ferris has a good export business, but I've never heard of it in Britain. Try winesearcher.com

Bodegas: J Ferris

Bodegas J Ferris was established as recently as 1975 by industrialist Jesus Ferris Marhuenda and his wife Candida Ruiz, who already owned extensive vineyards. At the time, the Sherry business seemed everlasting, but Ferris has managed to survive by winning decent sales in the export market, albeit on a fairly small scale.

The bodega is of the "chateau type", on a low hill with the vineyards surrounding it, and is constructed in the traditional style but with modern facilities. It is located a little outside Sanlucar de Barrameda, to the south, with its vineyards in the Pago Miraflores. There is space for a press house, vinification plant with temperature controlled steel tanks, 10,000 butts of maturing wine, as well as stabilisation plant and bottling lines.

They make quite a variety of products as follows:

Manzanilla: La Piconera, La Liebre
Tres Candidas Range: Fino, Oloroso, Amontillado, Cream
J Ferris M Range: Moscatel, Pedro Ximenez
Red Wines: Senorio J Ferris Tinto and the quite rare Tintilla de Rota
Also Three Brandies and a Ponche

They also market a Piconera range under the name Bodegas Las Urtas, principally to Holland and Germany where the PX solera 1941 is popular.

Address: Ctra El Puerto de Santa Maria - Sanlucar de Barrameda, Km 13.6, 11540 Sanlucar
Telephone: (+34) 956 235 100 or (+34) 956 363 400
Website: www.bodegasferris.com
Visits? Not really, but might be persuaded...