Sherry: 3000 years of wine history
Sherry is one of the oldest wines in the world. It has a rich history influenced by the Phoenicians, Romans and Moors who lived in the area. Of course it was also influenced by some of its key markets like the United Kingdom. In fact the identity of sherry wine is not simply a matter of winemaking traditions and natural conditions. Most of its characteristics are the result of long trading traditions and the fact that it was always intended to be an export wine.
History of Sherry wines
The history of sherry starts with the introduction of winemaking in Spain by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. They first settled around the city of Gadir (Cádiz), later also more inland at Xera near current-day Jerez. The Romans called the city Ceret and the wine Vinum Ceretensis. Ceret became Xeres and Šeriš (sherish) under the Moors, which the English eventually turned into Sherry. Different civilizations helped to form the winemaking traditions and the wine’s identity has been shaped by 3000 years of gradual evolution. Having a good understanding of the history of sherry can make us understand the current state of the industry and its unique wines in a better way.
Interactive timeline
There’s a lot to tell here, and I was planning to write one or more articles about the history of sherry for a long time. On the other hand I realized that it is already well explained in so many books about sherry and on the sherry.wine website. Eventually I decided to take advantage of the fact that this is a website and not a book. I present you my interactive history of sherry. It is a digital timeline which includes around 30 of the key events, critical in the shaping of sherry wine.
Sherry history: interactive timeline →
Many thanks to César Saldaña, the director of the D.O. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, for double-checking the contents.
About the Author
Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be
Related Posts
Manzanilla is (not) a sherry wine →
Ancient sherry typology: Palma, Palma Cortada, Raya… →
Pedro Ximénez grape: history and character →
