Vendimia Festival, Jerez

In Jerez the Fiestas de la Vendimia (harvest festival) starts officially on 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady. Dating from 1948, relatively new for a Spanish fiesta, the festival is held at a weekend as close as possible to 8 September. The first grapes may be picked a week or two earlier, especially if the weather has been very dry and sunny. Frequently the harvest is a week late and lasts about a month.