The structure of the sherry trade is such that most of the grapes are produced by small growers, who often belong to co-operatives. A bodega owning its own vines is more the exception than the rule. As I understand it, there is not really a free market for the grapes. It seems the bodegas get together and decide. This year the price was particularly low, and not agreed upon until well after the harvest – not exactly the most helpful set of circumstances for growers. 

Another thing which gets the growers’ goat is the classification system. They are paid less if their grapes do not come from the “Jerez Superior” areas, but often the wines made with the non-Superior grapes end up in the same bottles as the Superior stuff anyway. Not only that, a significant proportion of the liquid (colour wine, rectified concentrated grape must, grape alcohol etc)  in any sherry bottle comes from grapes which are not even grown in Jerez. This makes a bit of a mockery of the DO!

Not many happy campers in this town at the moment…