Tuesday 10 April 2012

Bodegas: Rey Fernando de Castilla

Lorenzo Cosme Andrada-Vanderwilde came to Spain in the XVI century as one of the Flemish knights accompanying Carlos V as he took possession of Spanish territories. For the last couple of centuries the family has been involved with the Sherry trade, establishing a small bodega in 1837.

In the 1960s the family bought an old Domecq bodega dating from 1794 (and which had housed the Fino La Ina solera) in the Calle Jardinillo and Fernando Andrade Vanderwilde, who had worked in the Public Relations department of Gonzalez Byass, bought the Marques del Real Tesoro Gran Reserva brandy solera in order to produce the "most select brandy in Spain". He launched it in 1972 and chose to call it "Rey Fernando de Castilla" after king Fernando the "Saint" of Castilla, who re-conquered a good deal of Andalucia from the Moors in the XIII century, and who observed that the local soils and climate were suitable for exceptional wines.

He was also involved with Sherry, top quality PX and vinegar. In 1999 he sold out to a group of investors which included Jan Pettersen, a Norwegian who had been working for Osborne for the previous 14 years. In 2000 they expanded the firm by buying the neighbouring bodegas of almacenista Jose Bustamante along with stocks. Pettersen is now the majority shareholder.


The firm has been very successful due to the quality of the wines, especially the Antique range. The Fino is unusual as it averages 8 years and is fortified to 17%. The rest of the range could be classified VOS or VORS but Pettersen does not believe in this system.

As well as fine Brandy which is always the product of pot stills, and certainly among the best available, they offer superb Vinegar and 3 ranges of Sherries (bottled for them by Sanchez Romate):

Classic: Amontillado Medium, Manzanilla, Fino, Cream, Moscatel, PX
Antique: Fino, Oloroso, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and PX
Hechizo: Young Moscatel, Young Pedro Ximenez
Fino en Rama

Visits? Yes, by previous arrangement
Contact: www.fernandodecastilla.com
               C./Jardinillo, 7 al 11
               11404 Jerez de la Frontera
               Cadiz, Spain

1 comment:

  1. Hello,

    Do you recall a bodega in the house name of Inigo lopez de caritosa, recreo de san loiuis, Jerez the la Frontera, in 1972.

    The Bodega was in the centre of Jerez.

    I spent 3 very happy months in there house.

    They told me that their father was related to the famous Domaque sherry family.

    Best regards,

    Colm Burns.
    Dublin
    Ireland.

    ReplyDelete