González Byass is the most visited of Jerez's sherry bodegas, and its Tío Pepe brand is recognized worldwide. The winery was founded in 1835 and today produces some 50 million bottles a year, but the historic bodega complex in the centre of the city remains the heart of the operation. Guided tours take visitors through the vast cathedral-like aging halls, where rows of American oak barrels are stacked in the traditional solera system, the oldest at the bottom and the newest added annually at the top.
The tasting at the end of the tour samples fino, amontillado, and oloroso sherries alongside the famous Tío Pepe fino — a wine so dry it is essentially the opposite of the sweet cream sherry most of the world associates with the word. The bodega has a colony of mice that have reportedly been drinking sherry for generations; their small barrels at floor level are a genuine tradition. Tours must be booked in advance; English-language tours run daily.