In the town of Cadiz in El Puerto de Santa Maria there are optimal conditions for raising artisan wines, brandies and viangres. Since the mid-nineteenth century, Gutierrez Colosía wineries produce wines in El Puerto de Santa Maria.

Taking advantage of climatic qualities of this area, the wines of Gutierrez Colosía enclose the dry winds of Levante and Poniente moisture. A combination of elements, as those responsible for the winery , the wines remain in optimum condition during the ripening process.

A cathedral near the Guadalete
Nestled on the banks of river Guadalete , the winery Gutierrez Colosía matrix is one example of what in El Puerto de Santa Maria has been called “cathedral nave.” That is, a high-rise building, with numerous arches inside, that exposes the wine to the climate and time.

The ship that is now, and you can visit to learn firsthand the preparation of wines typical of the region of Jerez , is the same that was built in the mid-nineteenth century. While the winery since its construction had several owners, more than a century belonging to the Gutierrez family Colosía.

This ship is not the only unit in which the family raises its wines, because in 1969 the company purchased what remained of the Palace of Count Cumbrehermosa (charger Indias well known in the area already dedicated to the world of wine). This place became leading to two ships joined Gutierrez Colosía infrastructure. A significant sum has enabled this family to have the only winery that gives directly to the river Guadalete. This provides extra moisture broths and affects, especially, in the microorganisms which occur on the surface of the wine.

Production sills and criaderas
The brand Colosía Gutierrez is characterized by following a process of aging of wines called ” Production System and Criaderas screeds . ”

This working method is to age the wine in jars (also called boots) American oak taking a percentage of each to fill as many pots. What, wine jargon is called “scale shift”.

To control the process in the winery are available in pots of varying heights. Of the vessels below earns a percentage close to the room that is consumed. This act is called out or spraying. Then pulled out a quarter of the intermediate vessels and fills the vessel bottom. The process is repeated above the vessels, which filled the middle.

Finally, top boots are filled with new wine. That is, the process is the result of a combination of vessels with two functions: nurture (with boots criaderas) and education (solera system, the ground row).

Canoes and sprinklers to achieve high quality wines
For this system, the winemakers use canoes or sprinklers. Tools that make the wine to slow way, without the flower of the broth to come to harm. This allows, as the heads of the wineries’ wines obtain homogeneous and uniform taste. ” And while working with canoes and sprinklers is very expensive, use “guarantees the final quality of the wine s”.

Variety of wines
The number of combinations that support the production system and sills criaderas results in a wide range of wines, brandies and vinegars.

In paragraph wine Colosía Gutierrez has eleven varieties ranging from Colosía Fine (golden, pungent flavor and delicate, dry and light almond on the palate from a flower aging in at least three years) to Colosía Palo Cortado (a wine sacristy over 50 years in wooden barrels produced in a limited way) through a multitude of varieties of fragrant wine, candy, old, and even fine wine.

In the chapter of brandies, produced Colosía Gutierrez Juan Sebastian Elcano, a solera gran reserva 38 degrees.

Finally, the winery has three varieties of vinegars: Book Jerez, the Sherry and Pedro Ximenez Sherry.

A guided tour of the wineries Gutierrez Colosía
Those interested in knowing the details of the raising of these wines and the peculiarities of this winery can visit their facilities. In this sense, the winery has a guided tour which takes place from Monday to Saturday, late morning.

To formalize the visit, and given the widespread demand for this activity, it is advisable to book through their website or by telephone.

In case concerned a group, the winery offers visitors the chance to make a nocturnal visit which may even include a flamenco show.

In all cases, visits include tasting with appetizer.

The Jerez
Like all the wineries that are in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Bodegas Gutierrez Colosía belongs to the name Jerez . A hallmark of quality in which the wines are also reared in Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlucar de Barrameda .

This triangle Cadiz occupies an area of ​​over 10,000 hectares and is dedicated to growing wine since 1100 BC when the Phoenicians brought the first vines to the area.

Throughout history, this wine, which owes its uniqueness to albariza land where vineyards are planted, has been consumed throughout the world . Thus, there are Roman accounts already referred to as quality wines.

Tags: Gutierrez Colosía, Puerto de Santa Maria, variety, winemakers, wineries, Wines

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 7:22 am and is filed under winery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.