Editing Sherry (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of sherry}}
[[Image:Sherry de la Frontera 1775.jpg|thumb|Sherry of 1775 – the oldest wine in the [[Massandra Winery]] collection, [[Crimea]]]]
[[Image:ValdiviaJerez52.jpg|thumb|Three levels of sherry [[solera]]]]
Jerez has been a centre of [[viniculture]] since wine-making was introduced to Spain by the [[Phoenicians]] in 1100 BCE. The practice was carried on by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] when they took control of Iberia around 200 BCE. The [[Moors]] conquered the region in 711 CE and introduced [[distillation]], which led to the development of [[brandy]] and fortified wine.

During the [[Moors|Moorish]] period, the town was called ''Sherish'' (a transliteration of the Arabic [[wikt:شريش|شريش]]), from which both ''sherry'' and ''Jerez'' are derived. Wines similar in style to sherry have traditionally been made in the city of [[Shiraz]] in mid-southern Iran, but it is thought unlikely that the name derives from there.<ref>Maclean, Fitzroy. ''Eastern Approaches''. (1949). Reprint: [[The Reprint Society|The Reprint Society Ltd.]], London, 1951, p. 215</ref><ref name="fisher">{{Cite book |last=William Bayne Fisher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2pO-mttL50C |title=The Cambridge History of Iran |date=1 October 1968 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-06935-9 |page=25 |access-date=25 August 2011}}</ref>
Wine production continued through five centuries of Muslim rule. In 966, [[Al-Hakam II]], the second [[Caliphate of Córdoba|Caliph of Córdoba]], ordered the destruction of the vineyards, but the inhabitants of Jerez appealed on the grounds that the vineyards also produced raisins to feed the empire's soldiers, and the Caliph spared two-thirds of the vineyards.

In 1264 [[Alfonso X of Castile]] took the city. From this point on, the production of sherry and its export throughout Europe increased significantly. By the end of the 16th century, sherry had a reputation in Europe as the world's finest wine.

[[Christopher Columbus]] brought sherry on his voyage to the New World and when [[Ferdinand Magellan]] prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on sherry than on weapons.

By the time of the sixteenth century Cadiz became one of the most important Spanish seaports. In 1587 Spain was [[Spanish Armada|preparing an armada]] from there to invade England. [[Francis Drake]] in a premeptive strike, [[Singeing the King of Spain's Beard|sacked Cadiz]] that same year. After destroying the fleet, Drake brought back 2,900 barrels of sherry that had been waiting to be loaded aboard Spanish ships.<ref name="The Story of Wine">{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Hugh |title=The story of wine |publisher=Octopus Publishing Group |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84000-972-9 |edition=New illustrated |location=London}}</ref> This helped popularize sherry in the British Isles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Juan P. Simó |date=28 November 2010 |title=Me habré bebido El Majuelo |url=http://www.diariodejerez.es/article/jerez/847168/me/habre/bebido/majuelo.html |access-date=25 August 2011 |website=diariodejerez.es |language=es}}.</ref>

In the following centuries sherry was a major wine export to the United Kingdom, and thus many English companies and styles developed. Many of the Jerez cellars were founded by British families.

In 1894 the Jerez region was devastated by the insect [[phylloxera]]. Whereas larger vineyards were replanted with resistant vines, most smaller producers were unable to fight the infestation and abandoned their vineyards entirely.<ref name="unwin">{{Cite book |last=Unwin |first=Tim |title=Wine and the vine: an historical geography of viticulture and the wine trade |publisher=Routledge |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-415-03120-2 |edition=1st |location=London |page=297}}</ref>