La Guita | Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
Located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the Bodega Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín was founded in 1852. Since that date, over 150 years ago, it has been ageing 'La Guita' Manzanilla, the emblem of the ageing winery.
The brand 'La Guita' originates from an anecdote by its founder, Domingo Pérez Marín. Whenever somebody approached him to buy 'manzanilla' from the ageing winery, he always asked: "Do you have guita"?, referring to whether the buyer had brought any money. Thus, over the passing of time, people started to call the ageing winery 'La Guita'. In 1908, to reaffirm the brand, it was included in the registry and a piece of twine was added to each bottle.
At present, 'La Guita' is produced in two areas of the ageing winery. The oldest, located in Misericordia street, number one, was converted into an ageing winery in the year 1867, previously being the hospital San Juan de Dios. The ceramic tile sign displaying its first name of Bodega de San Juan de Dios can still be seen at the main entrance.
In 1993, the ageing winery Pago de Sanlúcar Viejo was acquired and it now stores a total of 14,000 wooden casks dedicated exclusively to the ageing of 'La Guita' Manzanilla. The modern bottling facilities are also located on these premises.