The cities of El Puerto de Santa María, Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda are the comer points of a geographical triangle which limits the Sherry County, also known as "El Marco".

The Sherry County spreads over a surface of about 10,550 hectares of vineyards. Its soil, a chalky composition of earth called "albariza" where the best vines grow, is of organic origin from the sedimentation of waters of an inland sea which covered the County in the Oligocene period.    The first vines planted in the Sherry County, according to Avieno -a Roman historian-, were brought by the Phoenicians towards the year 1100 BC who also founded the city of "Xera"

In the year 138 BC with the conquer of the County by Escipion "El Emiliano", a flow of sherry wine exports to Rome lasting over 400 years took place. Even at this early stage in history, the first quality controls were established by the Romans who requested all amphorae's containing Sherry Wine to be marked with four "A"s.
  
The Arabs settled in the County from 711 until 1264 AD. They renamed the town as "Sherish", hence the English word Sherry by which the British, who have been buying Sherry ever since the 11th century, know these wines.
  
Following the discovery of America, trading with the Indies began and the city of El Puerto de Santa María played a very important role in this commerce mainly due to its location at the mouth of the Guadalete River. Ships sailed from its Port and numerous palaces were built by the "Cargadores a Indias" (wine traders who carne from places like, Naples, Genoa, England, etc.)
  
Likewise, big investments took place in the Sherry County towards the end of the 17th century when English, Scottish, French and Dutch investors established their own wineries thus emphasising the international reputation of our wines which are presently protected by the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of Origin.