What’s in a name?
Sherry is an Anglicization of Jerez, the city in Spain that is the center of the area where Sherry is produced, because apparently English speakers cannot pronounce anything correctly. I include myself in that sentence, since earlier this week I was read for filth on Instagram over my pronunciation of Picpoul de Pinet. I thought my French was getting better, but sadly no. Ahem, back to Spain.
The history of Sherry
The first mention of Sherry in historical documents was in 100 BCE, and the Andalusian area of Spain where Sherry is made has been making wine since 1000 BCE under the rule of the Phoenicians. During the 8th-13th centuries, Muslim rule made wine consumption illegal, but grape growing and wine production continued, and when Christians took over in the 13th century, both domestic and export consumption of Sherry increased rapidly. Like other fortified wines, the higher alcohol content of Sherry meant it shipped better than an unfortified wine, and so fortified wines became very popular in the Americas and other areas that were far from wine production. They were so popular that in the late 1800s and early 1900s, other areas began producing imitation “Sherry.”
Why the snarky quotes about imitations?
Since 1935, the Consejo Regulador has regulated the production and trading of Sherry wines, and technically Sherry must come from the area known as the Bona de Producción or Marco de Jerez, or in the case of Pedro Ximénez, around Montilla, which is also within Andalusía. The Consejo Regulador has no authority over countries outside the EU and can’t actually stop anyone from producing cheap, imitation “Sherry,” but if we must talk about these substances, we’re going to call them “fortified cooking wine” or something to that effect, because in this house we respect appropriate geographical designations.
What’s so special about Andalusía?
It has a hot Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. It’s affected by two contrasting winds:
- the poniente, a cooling, humid wind from the Atlantic Ocean, which is important for Sherry maturation during those hot, dry summers;
- the levante, a hot, drying wind from north Africa, which is only about 100km south of Jerez. This additional heat and wind can concentrate sugar in the grapes, which is helpful to a point but can also be a challenge because it becomes difficult to ferment the base wine to dryness, which impedes the development of flor yeast - which we’ll discuss in a moment.
The soil is also unique to Andalusía: albariza, a mixture of limestone, silica, and clay. The remnants of aquatic microorganisms create a porous structure in the soil, acting like a sponge when it is rainy, and then gradually releasing water during the dry growing season. Albariza also forms a crust when it is dry, reducing evaporation from the soil and making it possible to grow relatively high yields of grapes for such a dry area.
Something weird about Sherry grapes
For most wine grapes, flavor is key, and you’re usually shooting for intensity and concentration of flavors. But Sherry grapes actually don’t need to be that flavorful, because most of the flavors come from the unique maturation process rather than from the grapes themselves! Relatively bland Palomino grapes are the most commonly used.
Sherry is complicated.
Within the category, you will find dry and sweet, naturally sweet and sweetened, Sherry purposely exposed to oxygen, and those protected from oxygen by a layer of flor yeast. The fact that Fino, Amontillado, Cream Sherry, and PX are all classified under a single label of “Sherry” is kind of wild.
Dry, flor-protected varieties:
Fino and Manzanilla are fermented to dry, fortified, and then aged “biologically” under a layer of yeast called flor that protects the wine from contact with oxygen.
Dry, oxidative varieties:
Olorosa is fermented to dry, fortified, and then aged with oxygen contact.
Haha, just kidding, some varieties are actually both biological and oxidative:
Amontillado is Fino Sherry that is then further aged oxidatively, sometimes after additional fortification. And then there’s Palo Cortado, which some people will tell you cannot be truly made, but only identified and encouraged. If a biologically aged Sherry doesn’t fully form its flor cover, it is marked as a potential Palo Cortado, fortified further, and aged oxidatively. Will it turn into Palo Cortado or no? It’s a mystery.
Naturally sweet Sherry
These grapes are laid out to dry in order to concentrate the sugars, and because the sugar levels are so high, fermentation naturally stops around 4-6% ABV with the base wine still sweet. Then the wine is fortified and aged oxidatively.
Sweetened Sherry
These are made with dry base wines that have been fortified, with aging that can be biological, oxidative, or a combination of the two. The sweetening agent is added either before bottling or before maturation in a solera system.
What is a solera system?
A solera is a way of blending wine while it ages to maintain consistency. Portions of the oldest wine are kept in the barrel, while younger wines are added to it as some is removed for bottling.
Styles of Sherry
Fino and Manzanilla: These are made the same way, and are really only differentiated by the place they come from. They are biologically aged, dry, and you can expect aromas and flavors of bread dough and almonds.
Amontillado: Dry and both biologically and oxidatively aged, these show aromas and flavors of apple, almond, and bread from the biological aging as well as tobacco, spices, and herbs from the oxidative aging.
Olorosa: Dry and oxidatively aged, expect raisin, caramel, prune, and walnut flavors and aromas.
Palo Cortado: Think Amontillado on the nose, Olorosa on the palate.
Pedro Ximinez and Moscatel naturally sweet Sherry: Full-bodied and syrupy, with flavors of raisins, molasses, and licorice, with the Moscatel versions also having the typical floral aromas of the Moscatel grape.
Pale Cream: Biologically aged and sweetened, with some of the bready characteristics of flor aging.
Medium and Cream Sherry: Historically, Medium was a sweetened Sherry made from an Amontillado or other Sherry with both biological and oxidative aging, while a Cream was made from Olorosa/oxidative aging only. Now either can use only oxidative, only biological, or a combination of both. Because that’s not confusing at all. They’re sweetened with Pedro Ximinez or RCGM (rectified concentrated grape must, a sugar solution made from grapes).
When and with what should I drink Sherry?
Well, given the number of different styles, that depends what kind of Sherry you’re drinking! Frankly, for most of us, Sherry is enough out of the ordinary that you might want to just savor it on its own and get acclimated to the unique flavors and aromas.
That said, I like a Fino or Manzanilla in the same situations I might drink a white wine. I was introduced to it in Sevilla, Spain, and drank it often with Spanish tortilla (a large omelet served in slices at bars), these cod fritters that were a specialty in one of the bars, and other seafood-based tapas. I also cook with them fairly often, and enjoy a glass while I caramelize the onions for French onion soup - so the bottle is handy when I need to deglaze - and another to accompany the soup.
Amontillado is great with ham croquettes and chicken dishes. Olorosa is better with heartier foods like beef, barbecue, or pork chops. I don’t have a ton of experience with sweet Sherry, but treat them like any dessert wine: drink them alone as dessert; pair them with something sweet and chocolate, caramel, or nut-based; or try them with a slightly funky cheese like a bleu. Cheers!