Local overview
Jerez de la Frontera or simply Jerez or Xeres, is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Located in southwestern Iberia, it lies on the Campiña de Jerez, an inland lowland plain crossed by the Guadalete River, midway between the Atlantic Ocean, the Guadalquivir river and the western reaches of the Subbaetic System.
The municipality covers an area of 1,188.14 km2 (458.74 sq mi) and includes Los Alcornocales Natural Park.
The area's record of human presence includes the nearby site of Asta Regia with occupation since perhaps the Atlantic Bronze Age up to the 10th century. Information about the current settlement is scarce before the 12th century under the Almohads, when it grew into the largest urban centre in between Seville and the Strait of Gibraltar. Jerez was conquered by the Crown of Castile in 1261. Winegrowing has long been Jerez's primary economic driver, particularly with the transition to modern agro-extractivism in the mid-18th century. Jerez and its surroundings are noted for the production of local grapes into Sherry wines. For most of the 19th century, the local wine was overwhelmingly produced for foreign export, preeminently catering to the British market. In this period, the city gained a reputation as a paradigm for large landowners and high levels of social inequality, as well as its winery-related identity.
Since 1987, Grand Prix motorcycle racing has been held at the Circuito de Jerez in early May. The circuit has also hosted several Formula One Grands Prix, including the 1997 European Grand Prix, which decided the 1997 Formula One World Championship. Other festivals in the city include the Feria de Jerez and Holy Week.
