SHERRY WINE

SHERRY WINE

SHERRY WINE

Sherry is made in Andalucia, southern Spain, in and around three towns: Jerez, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria. It's produced predominantly from Palomino grapes growing on chalky, white soil known as albariza. The uninspiring, neutral, base wine made from these grapes is placed in oak butts... then something exciting happens. The wine is affected by the natural yeast in the air, forming a thick, creamy blanket, called flor, on the surface. This protects the wine from oxidation while at the same time giving it a characteristic ripe, yeasty, bready quality. The result is dry, tangy sherry. Other sherry styles, as we shall see, emerge in slightly different ways.

SHERRY WINE

Sherry sales seem to be moving up at last, following a long period during which this wonderful classic Spanish wine was considered old-fashioned and boring. Thank goodness we are enjoying sherry again; it can be one of the greatest wines in the world and extremely well-priced. Most people think of sweet, dark, cream sherry first and foremost, yet more and more of us are discovering the delights of dry sherry, if not the full spectrum of styles from mouth-watering manzanilla to the amazingly concentrated and deeply luscious Pedro Ximenez, or PX. Sherry is even more varied than port, so to understand it fully you really need to sample various different types. As sherry doesn't keep particularly long once opened, especially the dry styles, try buying half-bottles.

SHERRY WINE

One or two more salient facts. Sherry is made only in Andalucia, in southern Spain (the name 'sherry' comes from Jerez, one of the three sherry-producing towns). Since the early nineties no other fortified wine has been allowed to use the word 'sherry' on its label. So, when you buy a wine labelled 'sherry', it's the real McCoy rather than some cheap, dull imitation from another country (this is now labelled 'fortified wine'). The pale styles, both dry and sweet, are best served chilled, when fresh from a young bottle. 

Always avoid a dusty vessel that has been sitting on a shop shelf for months. Sherry is perhaps not as strong as you think, fortified to anything between fifteen and a half percent and twenty percent. (Compare this with a typical southern- hemisphere table wine at around fourteen percent.)

Finally, although one or two great sherry producers simply must be tried, don't avoid cheaper supermarket sherries for everyday drinking as the general standard is excellent.

SHERRY WINE

SHERRY WINE

FINO AND MANZANILLA 

 Fino is made from the first pressings of Palomino grapes, which are affected by flor. It tastes so dry and tangy, it's almost salty. Expect lemons, green olives and yeasty, doughy hints. Serve as a cold, palate-freshening aperitif with snacks such as crisps, olives, prawns and nuts. Manzanilla is the name given to exactly the same style of sherry, but made in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. If anything, it's yeastier, breadier and slightly softer. Brands of both to try include Hidalgo's La Gitana, Barbadillo's Solear, Domecq's La Ina, and Gonzalez Byass' Tio Pepe.

SHERRY WINE

AMONTILLADO AND DRY OLOROSO

Amontillado sherry starts off as a fino, but is then fortified to around seventeen or eighteen percent, killing off the flor and exposing the wine to the air. The wine then oxidises, giving a nutty quality and a darker amber colour. It's a medium sherry, perfect with a meaty consomme, but the quality of amontillado varies somewhat. Choose a good brand, such as Gonzalez Byass's dry Del Duque or Valdespino's Tfo Diego. Dry oloroso (meaning aromatic) is often cited as the most intriguing of sherries - rich and raisiny, but with a savoury, lip-smacking finish. .