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Emilio Lustau Winery Guide

Cellar Tours Insight — Since 2003, Cellar Tours has planned private wine journeys through the world’s leading wine regions, pairing tailor-made itineraries with VIP winery visits, fine dining, and expert regional guidance.

Winery Overview

Founded in 1896 by José Ruiz-Berdejo, he started growing vines on his family farm ‘Finca Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza’ and aging the wines before selling them to bigger houses, a system called almacenista. After he died in 1930, his daughter and her husband, Emilio Lustau Ortega, took control of the winery. The winery steadily expanded and moved to new premises in the center of Jerez.

In 1981, Emilio Lustau paid homage to their founder by launching a series called “Almacenista.”

The Spanish word almacenista means warehouse keeper or wholesaler. Almacenistas are usually small family producers: they buy young base wines (or produce these wines themselves) and mature them in soleras for several years. Once (semi-)mature, they are sold to larger sherry houses, which blend the artisan sherries with their own or are included them in the soleras for further maturation. Historically the larger Bodegas gave no credit to the Almacenistas;

Since its inception, Lustau has bottled sherries from over 20 almacenistas in this series. One of the most popular is the Oloroso’ Pata de Gallina’ produced by Juan Garcia Jarana. And today, Almacenista wines have become highly coveted treasures in the realm of sherry, sought after by connoisseurs worldwide.

Furthermore, Lustau has also established the Almacenista Club. The club aims to unite like-minded individuals who share a deep appreciation for sherry and to foster global interest in Almacenista Sherries. The club now has over 6,500 members worldwide.

Beyond the captivating wines, visiting the winery’s beautiful cellars offers an immersive experience, inviting guests to explore the storied history and craftsmanship that define Emilio Lustau.

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Further Reading

Author

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James Lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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