Jerez Wineries: Fino and Amontillado Tasting Guide

Jerez de la Frontera is the capital of sherry, and visiting its wineries is the best way to understand the difference between a fino and an amontillado. This guide explains how they are made, which wineries offer tours with tasting and what to try at the table, with prices published by the wineries themselves (checked in October 2026).

Fino and amontillado: what sets them apart

Sherry wines are aged in oak casks using the criaderas and soleras system, and are protected by the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry PDO, managed by the Regulatory Council. The key difference is the flor veil:

• Fino: aged under the flor veil, a layer of yeast that protects it from the air. It is dry, pale and sharply aromatic, and is served well chilled.
• Amontillado: starts its ageing under flor and, when the flor disappears, continues to age in contact with oxygen. The result is an amber, dry wine with notes of nuts and wood.
• V.O.S. and V.O.R.S.: categories of wines with a certified minimum average age of 20 and 30 years respectively.

The Regulatory Council has information on the wine types and on wine tourism in the Sherry Triangle (in Spanish).

Wineries with tours and official prices

Winery	Tour	Price
Bodegas Tradición	Tradición Visit: 90 minutes, maximum 10 people. Includes the ageing process, tasting of V.O.R.S., V.O.S. and Fino Tradición wines, and a visit to its collection of Spanish painting from the 14th to 19th centuries	60 € per person
Lustau (calle Arcos, 53)	“The Cathedrals of Wine”: about 60 minutes, tasting of 5 wines and a vermouth	26 € per adult
Lustau	“The Language of Chalk”: about 75 minutes, tasting of 5 premium wines and 2 V.O.R.S.	36 € per adult
Lustau	“Lustau’s Sacristy”: about 90 minutes, with a tasting of 3 wines and of its V.O.R.S.	60 € per adult

According to Lustau, its wineries cover about 20,000 m² and consist of six 19th-century cellar buildings. Book on the websites of Bodegas Tradición and Lustau, which also list hours and languages. Other well-known wineries, such as González Byass (Tío Pepe), also offer tours; check their conditions on their website.

A two-day route

• Day one: historic centre, with a visit to your chosen winery in the morning, a walk around the centre and tapas in a tabanco in the afternoon.
• Day two: another winery with tasting and, if you have time, the Alcázar of Jerez and its surroundings.

If you want to extend your trip, the Sherry Triangle also includes El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda; see our section on Cádiz and the guide to the beaches of Cádiz.

What to try at the table

• Berza jerezana: a stew of pulses and greens with bacon, black pudding and chorizo.
• Riñones al jerez: a tabanco classic, kidneys stewed in sherry.
• Ortiguillas fritas: battered fried sea anemones, typical of the Cádiz coast.
• Tocino de cielo: a dessert of egg yolk and syrup, which according to tradition was made in the convents of Jerez.

A fino or a manzanilla goes well with fried fish and shellfish, and an amontillado pairs with stews, cured cheeses and nuts.

Practical tips

• Book ahead, especially in spring, summer and on public holidays.
• If you are going to taste wine, do not drive: use a taxi or public transport.
• In summer the cathedral-like cellars are cool, but the heat in the street is strong at midday.

Sources

• Sherry Wines Regulatory Council — Sherry.wine
• Bodegas Tradición — visits
• Bodegas Lustau — visits