Culture of Jerez wine

Sherry wine has developed a "wine culture" with elements from the rural and the urban worlds.

This culture is linked to landowner aristocrats and to peasants and land workers; however, it was developed year after year by the commercial and industrial bourgeoisie, normally from France and Great Britain, and by the cellars' workers.This wine culture entails a great cultural and educational importance. Examples of this are the well-known "albarizas" (white lands), "los barros" (mud lands), "las arenas" (sand lands), the universe of the "vine", the "cortijos" (cottages)... and a series of objects especially created for the wine-producing works, from the cask to the "catavino" (glass to taste Sherry wine), and even the cellars themselves, which have become real museums.

We cannot forget to mention the commercial creations to identify the products: the sherry logos and brands. They have an undoubtedly acknowledged cultural and historical value, apart from their commercial value (some brands have existed for three centuries).

Intellectuals and writers have also paid attention to the Sherry world. The special characteristics of the group of cellars' businesspersons in Jerez, their settlement in the town, their irregular lives, the process of capitalist accumulation, the difficult industrial relationships, the difficulties of the lower classes... are all intensely dealt with in different literary works.

Everything we have reported has a very important role in the creation and maintenance of such Andalusian symbolic referents as the horse and the flamenco.

If we join these elements, we will have as a result art, tradition and history. Jerez's culture, our culture, is the essence of our life deep inside.