Era:  1970s
ABV:  20%
Volume:  70cl

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William Perry established his wine and sherry blending business in Denmark Street, Bristol in 1796.  He later went into partnership with Thomas Urch, whose nephew, John Harvey, joined the business as an intern in 1822.  By 1839, John Harvey was senior partner in the Bristol branch of the family business and by 1871, the whole business was known as John Harvey & Sons. It remained a family concern until it was bought out by Showerings, Vine Products & Whiteways Ltd. in 1966.   The records of John Harveys & Sons are held by Bristol Archives (Ref. 40913) (online catalogue).

The business specialises in blending and exporting the fortified wine, sherry. It originally sold a wider mix of Spanish and Portuguese wines and from the early 19th century, specialised in fortified wines which traveled better consistently. During the 1860s and 1880s John Harvey's sons John and Edward developed in the company's cellars what was dubbed a new type of sherry: cream sherry (in flavour and texture). This became the main product: Harveys Bristol Cream. The blend starts with wines from fifty different soleras, including three sherry types:  Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso. Finally some Perdo Ximinéz wine from sun-dried 'raisonified' grapes of the region is blended for sweetness, for the richness or 'creaminess' of aftertastethat is the hallmark of the product.

Since its inception, it has been generally reviewed as one of the major four types of sherry, although less so in some parts of Spain.  The business eventually began buying its own vineyards to invest in fermenting and fortification premises locally and to protect the quality of source material.  The business uses its estate vineyards in Jerez Superior and uses all of it Palomino grapes as the main source grape