• The wine region of Jerez, also known as Sherry is located in southern Spain in the region of Andalucia in the province of Cadiz.
• Jerez is one of the oldest recognized Denominaciones de Origen in Spain, covering an area of approximately 16,000 hectares.
• The region of Jerez as its name states, only produces sherry, with the exception of a few wineries that also produce a still white wine in limited amounts.
• The climate in Jerez is hot and dry with clear sky most of the year.
• The soil in the region of Jerez plays a very important role in the quality and characteristics of the wine. There are 3 types of soil in Jerez: Albarriza, Barro and Arena. The main differences between the 3 is the amount of calcium carbonate that is present. The higher the calcium carbonate present the better the soil is for the wine. The richest deposits of calcium carbonate are found in the Albarriza zone. The percentage of calcium in this soil can range from 30% to 80%.
• The grape varieties that are permitted by the regulatory body of Jerez are all white and are as follows: Palomino, Moscatel and Pedro Jimenez. Palomino is the predominant grape variety accounting for over 90%.
• There are four main styles of sherry that are produced.
  • Fino is a light pale golden coloured dry wine with an alcohol content of between 15.5% and 16.5%.
  • Amontillado is an older fino, richer in character with a soft copper or amber colour and an alcoholic content of between 18% and 20%.
  • Oloroso is a rich dark dry mohogony wine with a full rich nose. Most Olorosos have an alcoholic content of 21%.
  • Cream sherries are a blend of dry Oloroso and sweet Pedro Jimenez. Cream sherries are dark rich wines with a soft sweet finish. The alcoholic content of these wines are generally 20% - 22%.
• The production of sherry has been reduced significantly since the early 70's, with an annual production of approximately 90,000,000 litres today.

Note: D.O. means: "Denominacion de Origen"