Wines we drank on the recent Annie B Tour of Jerez
Why are some of the world’s most influential wine producers investing in Jerez?
Having spent years introducing visitors to the wines of Jerez, it’s fascinating to see international attention returning to the vineyards themselves. For centuries, the chalk-white albariza soils have produced the grapes behind all dry Sherry. But today, they are inspiring a new generation of still wines that are attracting global attention—from Pingus creator Peter Sisseck to Fever-Tree co-founder Charles Rolls.
For centuries, the white albariza soils of Jerez have been synonymous with Sherry. Today, however, they are at the heart of one of Spain’s most exciting wine movements. A new generation of winemakers is proving that these remarkable chalk-rich soils can produce world-class still wines that express place just as eloquently as the region’s famous Finos and Manzanillas. People are now talking about individual pagos—Balbaína, Macharnudo, Carrascal, Añina and Miraflores—in much the same way Burgundy lovers discuss individual vineyards. That’s one of the biggest shifts taking place in Jerez.
Albariza is the white chalky soil that defines the vineyards of Jerez. Formed millions of years ago when the area lay beneath the ocean, it is rich in fossilised marine organisms called Diatoms. Acting like a natural sponge, albariza stores winter rainfall deep underground, allowing the Palomino vine to survive the hot, dry summers by sending its roots up to six metres into the earth. It is this remarkable soil that gives the wines of Jerez their unmistakable character.
This revival has attracted some of the wine world’s most respected names. Peter Sisseck has spent decades creating one of the world’s most sought-after red wines—PINGUS. Yet he has often said people asked him, “When are you going to make a white Pingus?” His answer surprised everyone. Rather than looking to Burgundy or another famous white wine region, he came to Jerez because he believes its vineyards have the potential to produce one of Spain’s greatest white wines. He has long spoken of his admiration for Jerez, describing Fino as “the greatest white wine in Spain”. His ambition is not simply to make another white wine, but to create a white with the same sense of terroir, precision and longevity that made Pingus one of the world’s most sought-after reds. His project in Jerez focuses on individual vineyards and the unique character of the region’s historic pagos, demonstrating that origin matters just as much here as it does in Burgundy or Ribera del Duero.
“Many people had asked me to produce a white brother/sister to Pingus… I finally realised that the Fino is probably the single greatest white wine of Spain.”
International confidence in the region is also reflected in the investment of Charlie Rolls, co-founder of Fever-Tree, who has backed Sotovelo, a non-fortified Palomino wine. Produced from organically grown Palomino grapes in the renowned Pago Balbaína vineyard, Sotovelo is a pioneering still white wine aged for eight months under a veil of flor, combining the freshness of a table wine with the saline complexity traditionally associated with Jerez’s biological ageing.
At the same time, producers such as Bodegas Serdio are championing the individuality of Jerez’s vineyards through both still (vinos de Albariza)and fortified wines (Sherry). Working with parcels in El Perillar and Mahína, Serdio produces single-vineyard Palomino wines alongside beautifully aged Finos, Amontillados, Palo Cortados and Olorosos, demonstrating that the future of Jerez lies not in choosing between still wines and Sherry, but in celebrating both as expressions of the same extraordinary landscape.
Together, these pioneering projects are helping to redefine Jerez. They are showing the world that albariza is not simply the soil of Sherry—it is one of Europe’s great wine terroirs, capable of producing exceptional wines in many different styles while remaining deeply rooted in centuries of tradition.
Las Corrales, Sotovelo & El Perillar will be just some of the wines you will be tasting with our lunches at Lu Cocina y Alma and El Campero during my Jerez Food and Wine Tour 2-6 Nov 2026 and in 2027, my Bluefin tuna, Sherry & Culinary Tour 10-17 May 2027
Learn more about Sherry HERE
The white albariza soil
There are several other pioneers of the Vinos de Albariza movement producing sensational wines that you will try when you are with me. The visionary local producers listed below started the movement for Vinos de Albariza to be recognised. While international figures including Peter Sisseck and Charlie Rolls have brought renewed global attention to the region and its extraordinary albariza vineyards.
- Alberto Orte was one of the first pioneers
- Willy Pérez, of Bodegas Luis Perez. We will be visiting this bodega during my 2-6 November 2026 tour.
- Ramiro Ibáñez of Cota 45
- Muchada-Léclapart – the wife of Ale Muchada works in Vejer!
- Vinificate
- Forlong
