The Rules of the Denomination of Origin Regulatory Council establishes the following grape varieties as being apt for the production of Sherry wine: Palomino, Pedro Ximénez and Muscat (Spanish: Moscatel).

The Palomino grape
has many synonyms: Albán, Albar, Horgazuela, Jerez, Jerez fina, Listán, Listán común, Palomino, Palomino de Chipiona, Palomino de pinchito, etc. its cultivation in the region goes a long way back in time and should thus be regarded as a native species.
Thanks to its special viticultural and oenological properties, its use has increased steadily and it is the predominant variety in Sherry production. Perfectly adapted to the region, It is yet another of the region's unique features and when cultivated in "albariza" soil, it produces high-quality wines.

Pedro Ximénez
Its main synonyms are: Alamis, Pedro Jiménez, Pedro Ximen, Ximen, Ximénez, etc. It has long been grown in the Sherry region and is a traditional variety in other areas of Andalusia. It gives sweet wines of high quality possessing a fruity flavour and a distinctive bouquet which is achieved by leaving the harvested grapes in the sun so they lose some of their moisture. Their thin skin speeds this process.

The Muscat (Spanish: Moscatel) grape
is a variety used in the Sherry region to produce wines bearing the same Spanish name: Moscatel. The Muscat grapes cultivated here are called Chipiona Muscat. Other synonyms are Moscatel de Alejandría, Moscatel gordo, Moscatel de España, etc. The variety originated in Africa although it is now cultivated in many wine-growing areas throughout the world. There were already references to it by Columela writing in the first years of the Christian era. In the Jerez region it gives high-quality wines that carry its name. The vines are best suited to vineyards located close to the sea.