As the sun sets, the historic cobbled streets of Spanish wine-producing city Jerez de la Frontera are brought to life by the convivial buzz of friends and family coming together. Laughter and conversation fill the air, as loved ones begin their evenings with a plate of tapas and a chilled glass of Tio Pepe. The dry, crisp fino is just one of the many styles of sherry which has long been at the heart of the Andalusian city’s culture – it is, after all, the only place in the world where sherry can be produced. The area’s deep love of sherry has even inspired Jerez’s tabancos, historic and little-known bars set up especially to celebrate the fortified wine – but more on those later.

For the people of Jerez, sherry has long gone hand-in-hand with food. With styles ranging from honeyed and amber to dry and almost savoury, its variety unlocks countless food and drink pairing opportunities – deeply sweet sherries match beautifully with both indulgent desserts and the creamy tang of blue cheese, while darker varieties can stand up to robust stews and spice. But there are few styles which highlight the potential more clearly than fino. The driest and palest of sherries, fino’s fresh, sharp bouquet makes it the king of food and drink pairings – it goes brilliantly with tapas, of course, from anchovies and tortilla to Ibérico ham, as well as salty, savoury nibbles like olives and nuts. But its freshness also pairs perfectly with seafood and sushi, and cuts through oily, fried foods like fish and chips, cleansing the palate between sips. And while enjoying it in the Spanish sunshine is certainly preferable, it’s just as special when you’re hiding from the cold at home.

When it comes to finos, there are few as well known and highly regarded as those made by Tio Pepe, which has been producing fino since 1844 using Palomino grapes grown in Jerez. The fino is aged under a delicate layer of yeast – known as flor – which gives flavour and protects it from oxidising. It has, for good reason, become the best-selling fino brand in the world and is widely held up as the benchmark, thanks to its consistently high production standards and deeply refreshing taste, with notes of green apple and toasted almond. And Tio Pepe’s producers know just how perfectly poised fino is to be the ideal dinner party companion – after all, while wider perceptions may now be catching up, communities in Jerez have long understood its potential.

In Spain’s southernmost region of Andalusia, tapas and cerveceria bars are common sights – if the signs don’t give their presence away, the groups perched at tables outside certainly will. But there is another, lesser-known type of bar that, despite having a history spanning back 400 years, remains something of a mystery outside the region, and even Jerez. Tucked away in the city's old town streets are tabancos, sherry bars which not only celebrate the finest of finos, but also the city’s cuisine and culture. They are believed to have first appeared sometime between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as a fusion of the words estanco (small shops where goods controlled by the Spanish government, including wine, were sold) and tabaco (tobacco). The original iterations sold fino and tobacco in bulk, and provided a space where visitors could enjoy a glass or two by the counter before they paid up and went home. Tradition remains at the heart of many tabancos, but they have, of course, evolved over time. Plenty have added kitchens, creating tapas menus, developing reputations for their specialities and, increasingly, deftly pairing food with fino. Old posters and memorabilia adorn the walls, the decor rustic and welcoming, while live music and flamenco dancing create a lively, unforgettable atmosphere. A celebration of Jerez culture, the tabancos are unsurprisingly close to the city’s heart, a popularity which makes it remarkable that, with a handful of exceptions, they have remained such a well-kept secret.

The city’s ruta de los tabancos – or the tabancos route – takes visitors on a bar-hopping tour of the tabancos and a journey through Jerez’s gastronomy and culture. It includes Tabanco El Pasaje, which, having opened in 1925, is said to be the oldest tabanco in Jerez and one which has remained popular since. It was a grocery store at the beginning of the twentieth century, before becoming the headquarters of a club where waiters from Jerez would meet and, eventually, a tabanco. Today, it is a true example of a traditional tabanco, known for its authentic flamenco performances, smoked fish platters and, of course, fino. The route also stops by Tabanco San Pablo, which was founded in 1934 and is a spot for visitors to stock up on fino in bulk or by the glass and try its ajo caliente, a tomato-based dish cooked with peppers, garlic, olive oil and bread. There’s also Tabanco Plateros, a twenty-first century tabanco with a slightly more modern feel, which aims to introduce sherry to new audiences. Try its chicharones with a crisp glass of fino.

Their ethos of encouraging friends and family to celebrate fino together is at the heart of Tio Pepe – its team knows that fino creates life-affirming moments with loved ones. The business was, in fact, formed by family and a love of fino; in 1835, Manuel Maria González embarked in the sherry trade at the age of just 23, assisted by his uncle Jose, who was a fino-lover and who inspired the name of the sherry house. When uncle Jose – or Tio Pepe, in Spanish – helped his nephew start the business, he only asked him for somewhere to go with his friends to drink his favourite sherry in return. Manuel agreed, building him the Tio Pepe Rebollo cellar, where Tio Pepe En Rama is still aged today.

We may not all be able to visit the tabancos of Jerez, but we can certainly channel their ethos by enjoying fino with our loved ones. Its incredible versatility makes it an ideal aperitif, digestif, cocktail companion and drink with dinner, its pairing potential creating countless culinary combinations – from seafood starters and tapas feasts to gazpacho and sushi. We should look to Jerez and Tio Pepe to inspire our appreciation and understanding of this very special wine, which deserves to be at the heart of our celebrations.