In 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain. It was one of the most controversial and far-reaching episodes in the whole history of Europe, and one which historians are still wrangling over. But it did not greatly affect Jerez. Thirty aranzadas of sherry vineyards were confiscated from the Jews and given to the Royal Convent of Santo Domingo. In Spain, as elsewhere, the religious houses were amongst the pioneers of viticulture. The great monastery of the Cartuja, or Charterhouse, was founded outside Jerez in 1475, and in 1658 it was reported as having flourishing vineyards that gave excellent wine. The street called Bodegas formerly led to the wine stores of the old monastery of Veracruz.

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Nothing is sacred to the boys in the city. Now even the world of wine has become a bun-fight between investors keen to make dramatic returns over very short periods and claret lovers despairing as their favourite wines spiral out of their reach. At the very top end of French wine-making, the enormously collectable Petrus of Pomerol is now around £23,000 a case for the wonderful 2000 vintage. However, I have no doubt it will soon find a buyer as the market for fine wines refuses to slow down. Customers who bought into the celebrated 2000 vintage en primeur (ie buying while the wine is still in France at the Chateaux maturing) are now laughing into their checkbooks. A case of Mouton-Rothschild 2000 that went for around £1000 will now fetch somewhere in the region of £6000. That’s 600% growth in just 7 years, no wonder the city boys are scrambling to get their hands on good wine!

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