Jerez de la Frontera
House of Sandeman Visitor’s Center
No visit to Jerez de la Frontera would be complete without a visit to the world-famous House of Sandeman. You probably know the label by the man dressed in the Portugese student’s cape and wide brimmed hat.
Sandeman has a deep history in Spain’s “Sherry Triangle”. The facility is huge and very well run. We had an excellent tour when we visited at the end of March. Our guide was a student who donned the traditional cape and hat that you see on the label for the beginning of our tour.
First he gave us some of a the history. The company was founded in 1790 by George Sandeman who came from Perth. It remained a family-owned company until 1993. Then we had a 30-minute tour, which included a ten-minute video, of the original cellars. It was very well-organized and the spaces we visited were clean, well-lit and in many cases had information signs. The tour was followed by a tasting. They also offer Port tastings and if you are very nice to your guide – brandy tastings also.
If you want to visit Sandman or any of the local sherry bodegas, be sure to reserve your space either online or by phone. They fill up quickly, especially in the summer months. This is also the way to ensure that your tour will be in your preferred language. The tours range in price between 8 euros and 22 euros depending on how many sherries and brandies you want to taste. There is also a very nice gift shop that is worth a few minutes of your time.
There was a stork feeding the babies on top of the Sandeman sign
We planned our visit to Sandemans to coincide with a visit to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. The horses and riders were truly amazing. We went during their practice period. The next time we will be sure to catch a performance.