Trying to find an authentic flamenco club in the city of Seville is, more often than not, a thankless task for the average tourist without any local connections.

Overpriced and brimming with fellow travellers intent on seeing the 'real Spain' they may well be, but the clubs and bars advertised in the guidebooks have become a novelty item and driven away the genuine enthusiasts a matter of days after publication.

For an improved chance of stumbling across the genuine article in the middle of a warm Andalucian night, it's best therefore to head a bit further south to the city of Jerez.

Known around the world as the birthplace of flamenco and the sweet drink of the same name, sherry, the city nevertheless remains largely unspoilt by the mass tourism which has blighted some parts of the region and made it impossible to find a decent hotel room during the Easter celebrations in a number of the cities and larger towns.

Fortunately, cheap flights from the UK to an airport located just a 20-minute bus ride from the city centre, are plentiful.

Upon arrival, Jerez is a doddle to get around, with the main historical centre housed within a diamond of ruined walls dating back to the 11th and 12 the centuries when the city was the frontier of the Moorish empire.

However, it is outside the north-west boundaries of the old city where the real highlights of a trip to Jerez lie, with the majority of the bodegas, or sherry houses, nestled among the houses of the centuries-old Roma population on the shady roads leading out into the surrounding countryside.

Most of the vineyards are open to the public, though it is in the bodegas where the real action happens and where visitors can enjoy a demonstration of sherry-making by family experts.

Dominating both the domestic sales market and the local tourism industry, Tio Pepe offers the best insight and value, with trains taking guests round its vast campus of gardens, warehouses and cellars while occasionally stopping off for some tapas and a glass or two of the good stuff.

Equally as memorable is a sampling of genuine flamenco music and dancing in the evening.

The safest best is Jerez's main performance space, the Teatro Villamarta, which regularly hosts performances by some of the biggest and best names in the business.

More rewarding, and more affordable, is to stroll through the narrow streets surrounding the Plaza del Mercado and listen out for the unmistakable guitars and hand-clapping, though be warned things may not get going until the early hours of the morning and, after a few sherries, the importance of a travel insurance policy covering twisted ankles is all too clear.

A quick flamenco fix it may not be, but a chance happening upon an impromptu session is the only way to see the real culture of this part of Spain.