The Designation of Origin

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Manzanilla began to be made and enjoyed as we know it today.

What we do know, though, is that Manzanilla was born from an ancient winemaking tradition, although the Designation of Origin wasn’t officially constituted until 1964. This landmark year was when Manzanilla was officially acknowledged as having a truly unique identity, thanks to a series of differentiating factors including its origin and traditional winemaking process.

Manzanilla has only one home, Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Wine is made throughout the Sherry Region

The Sherry Region is one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world, with over 2,000 years of history. The Phoenicians were the first to introduce grapevines to the region.

The first written reference to Manzanilla

It wasn’t until the second half of the 18th century when a document was found in which the word Manzanilla appeared as a reference to wine. The document was a Writ from the Cadiz Chapter House.

The vinegrowing industry appears

The region’s winemaking business underwent restructuring that propitiated the establishment of bodegas (wineries) in Sanlúcar, marking the beginning of Sanlúcar’s production of Manzanilla as we know it today.

The earliest descriptions of Manzanilla winemaking

The earliest documentary evidence of this unique winemaking practice can be traced to a book, namely Vine Growing Practices in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Xerez de la Frontera.written by botanist and agronomist, Esteban Boutelou.

Considerations regarding Manzanilla in the first Wine Statute

The possibility for Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda to be protected under a designation of origin appeared in the first Wine Statute, pending a draft resolution, approval and publication of its Formal Regulations.

Manzanilla As Part of D.O. Sherry Wines

The D.O. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry names Manzanilla as a type of wine included in its initial set of regulations.

The Constitution of the Designation of Origin

Upon publication of the Designation of Origin’s Regulations, Manzanilla was acknowledged as a genuinely unique wine whose identity is inextricably linked to Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

The one and only Manzanilla

On 26 June 1996, the European Commission acknowledged Manzanilla’s uniqueness, making the mention of its place of origin, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, no longer necessary. Simply saying Manzanilla was enough because there’s only one and it’s from Sanlúcar.

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A Passageway to the New World

After the discovery of the New World, Sanlúcar acquired new fame. It was from Sanlúcar that Columbus set sail on his third expedition and Magellan and his crew departed on the world’s first voyage around the world. As a consequence, Sanlúcar entered into an age of maximum economic splendour.

Its key location for exporting, colonising and trading expeditions to the Americas led Sanlúcar to be considered the major gateway to Seville and, as such, enjoyed greater strategic value and importance as a trading hub.

The wine produced in the region played a key role in these trading activities, not only as a commodity but as an indispensable provision for the crews travelling on the seafaring voyages.

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