Sherry

Through a rear door and into the vast open space, with grass and a fountain, trees and a bronze horse, old equipment and massive warehouses for crushing the grapes, ageing, "Soleras and Criaderas" and bottling. Here is the Bodega de Lola named in honour of the flamenco dancer and singer Lola Flores who was born in Jerez and is where Tio Mateo, the only practically histamine free fino wine is produced and aged.
The bottling plant is one of the most up to date in Jerez. The sherries and brandies are aged in thousands of 100 year old barrels in a cool, dim light with harmonious music playing for them to age calmly and peacefully...
These warehouses are huge and the barrels go on and on. You can't take photographs in here.
The air is cool and the air is pungent with sherry. There is the sound of birds. The light is dim. There is a crucifix with Christ over the door. It smells as though this place, or process has been going on for a long, long time. It makes you think of heat in the late afternoon, of alcohol soaked wood, of musk, sweetness without being sickly, rich, dark liquid catching the light. A table being laid for a meal that will be eaten much later on, whent he temperature dips and the sun is going down. Fruit. Bread. Glassware. The air is thick with the aroma of Jerez's finest.

And then the bottling conveyor belt, viewed from a balcony and more dark, dark warehouses with aged barrels aging the sherry and brandy.
Mr. Garcia knows his stuff and will answer any question. He takes his time, going into every detail, even though I hardly understand a word, it doesn't seem to matter. I'm here. I can smell it, almost taste it (which I will later.) Is this enough?