VINEYARDS
 

When a vinegar is required , a proportion is drawn from the casks at the final solera stage , which are refilled from the first criadera.The first criadera is refilled from the second and so on in a " waterfall" sequence.In this way a " chain " of maturity is achieved.

Quantity and frecuency of withdrawal from the butts depend upon the style of the vinegar.Only a small quantity is taken from each cask at a time.This is replaced by a younger vinegar, whitch takes on the character of the much larger quantity of older vinegar. A good shipper runs the system slowly to ensure that the character and average age of the solera remain constant.
In 1973 , as part of a program of renovation and expansion , our firm purchased " La Vicaría " , a country estate located same 10 kilometers sowthwest of Arcos de la Frontera , Cádiz, with a wine tradition dating back to the year 1767, as it can be verified in documents held in the local Public Record Office.
The soil of " La Vicaría " , like that of Jerez , is the famoust " tierra albariza", while from high lime content.The new grapes,Cabernet Sauvignon,Tempranillo and Riesling take up about 40 per cent of the land , the remaining 60 per cent is almoust exclusively Palomino.