1819 | M. Ant. De la Riva | Amontillado

Producer Information

Ramiro Ibañez and Willy Pérez are hard at work. These two Jerez natives are moving. Writing. Studying. Teaching. Preaching. Making Music. And reinterpreting the history and the present of this legendary, yet often misunderstood, region in southern Spain. One part of this project of reinterpretation is a book: Los Sobrinos de Haurie. Los Sobrinos de Haurie is unique in its focus on the development of the complex methods of wine production in the area in the 19th century, and Ramiro and Willy are committed to documenting the intricacies and complexities of winegrowing, winemaking, and wine aging in Jerez and Sanlúcar in this poorly understood period. The second half of the 19th century was an era of dynamic innovation in Jerez and Sanlúcar, seeing the proliferation of Palomino, the development of the solera alongside the endurance of static aging processes, and the gradual invention of the systems of Sherry classification. Their archival and historical work revives and illuminates the complexity of viticulture in El Marco de Jerez, tracing the interrelations of soil, pago (the ancient, well-mapped vineyard areas of Jerez planted on the area’s signature varied Albariza soils), grape, and aging methods over the long history of the region’s wine. The other half of this project is the rejuvenation of an historic bodega: M. Antonio de la Riva. To understand why Willy and Ramiro would want to revive an old name from Sherry’s past, it is important to understand their perspective on the history of Jerez, and the current situation of Jerez wine today.