The César Florido bodega was founded in 1887 and is currently maintained by César Florido, a fifth-generation descendant of the founder. The winery is the oldest bodega in Chipiona, located five miles from Sanlúcar de Barrameda along the road that continues to Rota. César Florido is one of only two bodegas in Chipiona that are still operating outside of the cooperative. Although technically Chipiona lies outside the Zona de Crianza for the D.O., he makes some of the most singular wines in the area, sought out by true believers in César. 

César Florido’s name is synonymous with moscatel. His moscatel is the reference point for the classic, balanced sweet wines of the zone, characterized by notes of orange blossom, jasmine, and a honeyed, raisiny palate. His village of Chipiona, with its sandy-clay soils, is well adapted to the grape variety and has the best moscatel vineyards in the region. These concentrated wines, made from shriveled grapes, can acquire enormous complexity with a long period of cask aging.

Vinification – Cream sherries, an English invention, are sweet blends, usually of dry oloroso base wine with pedro ximénez. César turns the concept around by using moscatel instead of pedro ximénez to sweeten the blend. Another unique feature of his Cruz del Mar Cream Sherry is that he sources his palomino and moscatel grapes from family vineyards in prime areas. Most Cream Sherry is made by a bodega as an afterthought from inferior ingredients. César Florido puts the same care and ingredients into his Cream bottling as he does with the rest of his line, aging it an average of seven years in solera.

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