These authors, driven by romantic curiosity, historical interest, or a desire for observational customs, contributed to forging an evocative image of the city, closely linked to wine, its landscape, and the richness of its traditions. Their works, straddling chronicle and literary creation, offer a unique perspective on the evolution of Jerez.
Among the oldest testimonies, the Catalan naturalist Joan Salvador stands out, who in his diary Viatge d’Espaya i Portugal (1716-1717) described his brief stay in the city. In his account, Jerez appears as a prosperous city, with wide streets and a notable square, situated on fertile lands.
In the 19th century, Father Luis Coloma (1851–1915) captured in his work Solaces de un estudiante (1871) a "picture of Spanish customs" set in his hometown. The work, a collection of short stories, describes daily life and human types of the era, with a strong observational and moralizing character. In it, the author portrays characters such as Próspero Pinillos, a young man from Jerez returning from London, and the unique Mr. Snuff, an Englishman settled in Jerez.
Another 19th-century traveler, Amós de Escalante (1831–1902) from Santander, dedicated a large chapter to Jerez in his work Del Manzanares al Darro (1863). Escalante describes a "sumptuous and opulent" city, where commercial and social habits had a "more English than Spanish" air. His attention focused on the wineries, which he described as "monumental and magnificent," highlighting the skill of the wine pourers.
“"If there is any happy town on the planet we inhabit, it is undoubtedly Jerez de la Frontera."
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Valencian José Sanchis Sivera (1867–1937), under the pseudonym of Lázaro Floro, offered an enthusiastic vision of Jerez in De Valencia a Cádiz (1901), praising the splendor and good taste of its inhabitants. Later, Federico García Sánchiz (1886-1964) in El viaje a España. Andalucía y Extremadura (1929) focused on aspects such as cante jondo and the English influence on Jerez's wineries.
Finally, the Sevillian Alfonso Grosso (1928-1995), in his anthology Andalucía, un mundo colonial (1972), dedicated a section to Jerez, describing Calle Larga, the shoe shiners, and the tabancos, establishments where bulk wine is served and which, according to him, "are full at all hours with a varied and colorful crowd where all social categories meet."
