In the coolest part of the cathedral-esque Bodegas Gutierrez-Colosia, at the mouth of the Guadalete in El Puerto de Santa Maria, lie three very special soleras: “Maria Dolores”, “Loreto” and “Matilde”. Created for and named after the three daughters of Jose Maria Gutierrez Dosal these three soleras contain the oldest sherry wines of the bodega and have been carefully kept now for more than three generations. Jose Maria taught his son, Jose Maria Gutierrez Sanchez de Cos, the secrets of the crianza (nursing) of sherry who in turn taught his son, and current owner, Juan Carlos Gutierrez Colosia. His two daughters, Carmen and Carlota, are now learning the traditional ways of the bodega and among many other skills are continuing to nurture the soleras started by their great grand-father for their great-aunts. The first Gutiérrez Colosía bodega was built in 1838 and it has been preserved almost as such to this day. Towards the beginning of the 20th century it was acquired by Sr. José Gutiérrez Dosal, the late great grandfather of the current Gutiérrez Colosía family. The Gutiérrez Colosía wines are produced in bodegas, or wine cellars, with an architectural style known as Nave Cathedral or cathedral-like warehouse. These arched buildings of significant height, help to expose the wines to the influence of the local climate.
