Bodegas Arfe is an unusual, and quite new, bodega. Founded in 2000, it’s the brainchild of Luis Arroyo Felices (the name of the bodega is the first two letters of his surnames), formerly technical director at Grupo Garvey, and the first bottling of Palo Cortado “De La Cruz De 1767” this year was the culmination of a long held ambition to create a bespoke Palo Cortado from scratch.

At the highest point of the old city, where it would have been most exposed to cooling breezes, the bodega is a modest building that is known to date back to before 1767 (its rebuilding that year is commemorated by a stone plaque on the first pillar of the arcade), and once belonged to the oldest firm in Jerez, mentioned as long ago as 1653.

The bodega is unique in that it produces only one brand of sherry, the aforementioned palo cortado. When we arrived Luis showed us around his little domain, and then gave us a tasting straight from the barrel. Well, several tastings actually, and as the conversation became more animated discussion naturally turned to the vexed topic of What Actually is a Palo Cortado? In Luis’s view it’s essentially a specialised form of oloroso, made in this case from the lighter first pressing of the wine normally used for fino and manzanilla, but with minimal or no ageing under flor.

Bodegas Arfe
Molino de Viento 12
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 665 570 316