Emilio Lustau

The Bodega Emilio Lustau, founded by Don José Ruiz-Berdejo in 1896, is closely interwoven with the concept of the Almacenistas. 

Emilio Lustau - Sherry of the finest quality

Don José, himself a court employee, ran this small-scale production as a sideline, like many Almacenistas. His winery Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza produced high-quality wines, which he stored in order to sell them later to wholesalers. The term Almacenista also derives from this practice of storage, since almacén means nothing other than store or warehouse. An expression whose origin lies in Arabic. His son-in-law Don Emilio Lustau Ortega moved the storage facility to the Santiago district of Jerez. There, in old Moorish halls, he stored the fine wines and expanded production, but still remained an Almacenista.

From small producer to ambassador of the Almacenistas

In the 1980s, under the management of Rafael Balao, there was a rethinking of the company philosophy. Through ambition and quality, the bodega earned a reputation that was known far beyond the borders of the region. The new concept, which started in the 1980s and 90s, was the direct sale of high-quality wines from other Almacenistas in the region. The purchased sherries are marketed and bottled under the Emilio Lustau brand, but bear as designation of origin the bodega of the small Almacenistas.

The grape varieties

For its excellent sherries, brandies and vermouths, the Emilio Lustau winery uses the following grape varieties: 

• Muscat (Moscatel)
• Palomino Fino
• Pedro Ximénez
• Tinta Miúda