4.11.14 Sherry sales to End September

The sales figures for Sherry reveal that the domestic market has levelled off as sales have ceased falling, but they continue to fall in the export markets. Spain took about a third of the 25.5 million litres of wine sold to the end of September at just over 9 million litres, while the export markets took just under 16 million litres. European sales declined over 8% as against the same period last year, with UK sales down a worrying 11%.

At the end of this year, Jerez will pass on the title of European City of Wine (ECW) to an as yet un-named city in Portugal, following the RCVIN system of a different country each year. In the year so far, Jerez has achieved its objectives, and the name of Sherry has within and without the Spanish border thanks to the efforts made for the ECW, and has put Sherry at the forefront of the wine scene.

The sector is well aware, however, that it must build on the results achieved as well as those still to come via promotional projects. It is not all doom and gloom, though, since as volumes continue to slide, prices are slowly rising, principally as the sales slide is largely in the BOB market while sales of better wines are rising slightly. The bodegas are happy enough with this as income is rising slightly along with quality and the drop in sales is slowly levelling off.

Fino and Manzanilla continue to be the best sellers with sales of 5.9 and 5.6 million litres respectively. Medium, mainly an export Sherry, sold 5.5 million and Cream 4.2 million while Pale Cream sold 1.5 million. These latter three all registered fairly serious falls in sales. PX was up slightly at 610,000 litres, Oloroso down 15% at 390,000 litres, Amontillado down a whopping 76% at 273,000 litres. Then Dry was 46% up at 236,000 litres, Dulce down 0.72% at 234,000 litres, Moscatel was up 2.8% at 56,000 litres and Palo Cortado was up a creditable 24% at 45,000 litres.

4.8.14 More About Sherry in the Media

European City of Wine status for Jerez has had a major impact in the media.  Sherry has tripled its total media presence in the first half of this year and jumped from 5^th place (in Spain) at the end of last year to 2^nd now. There is no doubt that this status has brought benefits, and Sherry is being talked about more in the wine world as well as the media.

(foto: Diario Jerez)

Data from the consultants Castro Galiana, a Valencia company which specialises in auditing wine trade information across the media, shows that the Sherry zone closed last year with 3.11% of the media traffic, behind Rioja, Rias Baixas, Ribera del Duero and Cava. Since January, however, Sherry with 9.52% has overtaken all except Rioja which has 14%.

The activities of the Consejo occupy more than 10% of published information on Sherry, then the 34 bodegas, half of whom have a media presence in the context of wine information, are qualified by Castro Galiana as “notable”. The media monitored by Castro Galiana give plenty of column inches to wine, very important to the Spanish economy, as is the taste of the readers with respect to wine brands, enotourism, leisure and gastronomy. 

23.2.14 Thousands Toast Jerez

Brindis por Jerez (a toast to Jerez) took place yesterday in the centre of the city, with thousands of happy Jerezanos filling the streets and raising a glass to their city and their wine. Venenciadores from the bodegas dished out glasses of wine to the echoes of the buleria and the toast “Por Jerez”. This toast marks the beginning of the XVIII Festival de Jerez and the many activities connected to City of Wine 2014. Salud!

Venenciador in action in C/Larga (DiariodeJerez)

25.10.13 Tio Pepe Sculpture; European City Of Wine 2014

The public are being offered the chance to vote for their preferred Tio Pepe statue to be placed in the roundabout on Jerez' Avenida Tio Pepe. There are four candidates, whose creators are not yet being named by Gonzalez Byass. Here are the models:

From left to right, a copita with an illuminated figure of Tio Pepe inside; a modernised Tio Pepe bottle but not too far from the original; a Tio Pepe at a slight angle which turns with the wind; a modernist re-interpretation of the illuminated sign in Madrid's Puerta del sol.

This is the link if you would like to paticipate: http://www.rotondatiopepe.com/  All voters will be entered into a prize draw. There are 15 VIP visits with tastings to the bodegas and a pack of Tio Pepe products like a selection of wines, a box of tasting glasses, a book about GB, and a Tio Pepe T shirt.


A promotional video for the candidacy of Jerez as European City of Wine 2014 will be made public on Saturday during the presentation of Vinoble 2014. Jerez has achieved over 200 supporters from the trade and beyond, even abroad.

2.8.13 Jerez Candidate for European City of Wine 2014

Jerez Council has approved the presentation of the city’s candidature to RECEVIN, the European network of wine towns, and has set up a working committee, which includes the Sherry trade, to support the application. Principal among RECEVIN’s remits are the promotion of awareness and knowledge of the winemaking world, its products and different denominations of origin, as well as the excellence of the wines and their healthy properties as European wines.

RECEVIN also considers the growth of wine tourism for this, the third year of the project, which works on a rotary basis around the European wine growing countries. The first was Portugal (Palmela), then Italy (Marsala), and now it is Spain’s turn. Jerez will be up against 22 other Spanish wine towns, including Chiclana andE l Puerto de Santa Maria! 2015 will be France’s turn.

The Council considers that Jerez fulfils all the requirements, and so has decided to apply. It will now try to get things moving by promoting the richness, diversity and common traits of the area at a European level, offering a better knowledge of the countryside, gastronomy and patrimony of the Jerez area “for a better mutual understanding among citizens of the European Union”.

RECEVIN is also promoting the European Day of Wine Tourism, on the 10^th November 2013.