The Irish saint who became the patron of a fino

Fino San Patricio was one of the first fino-style wines produced by the William Garvey bodega to gain commercial success in the early 19th century

ALEKK M. SAANDERS

Wednesday, 17 March 2021, 16:53

One of the biggest bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera was named after St Patrick by its Irish founder, William Garvey. Garvey was an aristocrat born in 1756 at New Ross, County Waterford. He came to Cadiz in 1776 in search of merino rams to ... breed with the sheep that his father farmed in Ireland. According to legend, his ship was wrecked in a dreadful storm in the bay of Cadiz and William was rescued by Spaniards. A captain in the Spanish Navy, Rafael Gómez, generously offered to have the Irish man looked after by his daughters in his house in Puerto Real. During his recovery, William Garvey fell in love with one of the captain's daughters, Sebastiana Gómez Jiménez, and married her in 1794.

The Irish man decided to stay in Andalucía thanks not only to Sebastiana, but also to the incredible business opportunities in Jerez where the great sherry trade with England was based. It appears that he never returned to Ireland, though apparently he did manage to send some sheep to his father.

William Garvey wanted to try his fortune in the wine trade, and in Sanlúcar, where he worked as a general merchant, he took his first steps to becoming directly involved in winery. First, he started purchasing wines from one Juan O'Connery, and later from Gordon & Co, as well as from another Irishman, Richard Shiel who worked in Spain for Devereux Shiel & Co of London.

After shipping small quantities of sherry to England and Ireland, William eventually became wealthy, and was able to afford to make his dream to create the biggest bodega a reality.

In 1780, on the edge of Jerez de la Frontera he bought vineyards stretching for miles. There is a story that William commended himself to the Patron Saint of his country, and believed that St Patrick would guide him. He decided that if he could achieve his dream, he would name the bodega in his honour - St Patrick (San Patricio).

The Bodega de San Patricio did become the area's largest, but this was probably due to William's son, Patrick. Patrick Garvey successfully developed the family business and in 1823 their bodega was the first to start selling quality Fino San Patricio sherry to England. The following year, William Garvey died at home, next to his beloved bodega.

At first finos were considered only good for producing vinegar. Also finos were made to be consumed fresh, and therefore they were not as ideal for shipping as the oxidised wines such as Amontillados and Olorosos. It is said that the secret of Garvey's success was in their PR campaign. Their slogan professed that only they could guarantee the finest selection of sherries.

The process of fino-sherry production needs a lot of time and much care. First, a dry white wine is fortified to between 15% and 15.5% alcohol, and then it is put in casks where a layer of oxygen-inhibiting yeast called flor forms on top of the wine. The flor imparts much of the distinctive flavour in a fino-sherry.

The San Patricio Fino is rich with fruity echoes, some herbal notes and bitter almonds with hints of olive brine. The aroma is of dried apples and flowers with light leathery notes. Traditionally Garvey's wines were sold in rounded bottles, nowadays they are sold in straight bottles with a screw cap for around five euros.

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