Sherry: what is it, types, how to drink + 9 popular Spanish brands
Briefly about the drink
Sherry - this is a fortified Spanish wine. It is characterized by a strength of about 20 degrees and a sugar content of 2-3%.
Only wines created from white grape varieties grown in the triangle between the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda, located in Spanish Andalusia, can bear the official name "sherry".
Palomino is used for dry wines, Pedro Jimenez and Moscatel for sweet wines.
The drink has a strong aroma and a tart aftertaste, in which you can distinguish different notes. It all depends on the type of sherry, grapes and the conditions in which it was grown.
To make sherry, grapes are harvested at the end of September. Then it is placed in special oak barrels, where it is stored for several months for further fermentation. After such a procedure, tasters come to work, who need to determine how mature the semi-finished product is, and what kind of wine can be made from it.
Types of sherry
Dry: Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo cortado.
Blended sweet: Medium, Pale cream, Cream.
It is naturally sweet: Pedro Ximenez, Moscate.
Features and tips on how to drink sherry
Fino and Manzanilla
They are fortified wines of yellowish color. They have a fruity bouquet and a hint of nuts, well suited as an aperitif.
Before serving, such sherries must be cooled, the optimal temperature is 5-10°C.
When drinking wine, keep the glass so that its contents do not heat up.
Preference for appetizers should be given to soft cheeses, red or white fish and other seafood.
Amontillado
This is an amber-colored sherry with notes of almonds.
The drink should be cooled to 10°C before serving.
A distinctive feature of the wine is the ability to eat it with soups, as well as hard cheeses, white meat and blue fish.
A good option for an aperitif.
Palo Cortado
A rare "aristocratic" type of sherry that combines the qualities of Oloroso and Amontillado.
It should be cooled to 16 °C before serving.
Drink the wine in small sips with marinated and smoked fish, various stewed, fried and chopped meats.
Some connoisseurs prefer to replace food with a good cigar.
Madium
A sherry characterized by a bright and memorable taste of medium dryness, which captures pronounced oak notes in combination with aromas of walnut, caramel and fig.
Before drinking, the wine is cooled to 10°C.
Pate or smoked meat is served as an appetizer, and fresh fruit is also good: apple, pineapple, pear, melon.
This sherry is perfect for use as an aperitif or digestif with a slice of orange.
Oloroso
Golden color wine with predominant notes of walnut. Produced from Palomino Fino grapes.
Red meat will be the best appetizer for this sherry, aged cheeses, meat stew, game, tuna, beef, rooster dishes are also offered.
The best temperature for serving the drink is 16°C. Can be used as an aperitif.
Cream
Sweet wine, dark in color with aromas of spices, nuts, raisins, resin, bird cherry and chamomile.
The taste is sweet with a pleasant acidity.
It belongs to dessert-type drinks, so it is served with sweet cookies or other pastries, as well as ice cream.
Due to the high sugar content, meat or fish appetizers are not suitable for the drink.
This sherry is cooled to 13°C before drinking.
You can add a few ice cubes to the glass if you like, and if you serve the wine with an orange slice, it will make a great aperitif.
Pale Cream
Delicate transparent wine, with hints of durian slipping through and a pleasant aftertaste.
It is made from Palomino grapes with the addition of grape juice concentrate, which gives it sweetness.
Served at a temperature of 7°C.
Poultry liver or fresh fruit will be an excellent appetizer.
Pedro Ximenez
Some of the best dessert sherry. This is a velvety sweet mahogany-colored wine with delicate aromas of raisins.
Pedro Jimenez grapes are used in the production.
The drink should be cooled to 13°C before drinking.
When choosing an appetizer, you should give preference to blue cheeses, liver or other desserts.
Wine has a natural sweetness, so only such an appetizer will help to fully reveal its taste.
Popular brands of Spanish sherry
When choosing sherry, many buyers are guided not only by the taste of the drink, but also by its manufacturer. Therefore, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main brands:
Croft Jerez
It is one of the oldest sherry producers and has repeatedly established itself in the market as a producer of high-quality wines, such as, for example, spicy varieties Croft Original and Croft Delicado.
Antonio Barbadillo
One of the largest sherry producers. The Antonio Barbadillo brand dates back to 1881. It is also known as a producer of about fifty different flavors of the drink. The main ones are Tio Rio, Eva Cream, Sanlucar Cream, Principe.
Diez Hermanos
The company was founded in 1876. It produces such wines as Fino Imperial, Don Zoilo and Ohroso Victoria Regina.
John Harvey & Sons
In 1796, the English company John Harvey & Sons was founded. Its wines are known as Bristol Milk and Bristol Cream, which were produced by blending several types of sherry. The brand's varieties include Club Amontilliado, Luncheon Dry, Bristol Dry, Tico.
Osborne
Osborne Cream, Conquinero, Fino Quinta, Bailen wines are the result of the Osborne company, which was founded in 1772 by Thomas Osborne, a native of Devonshire.
Lustau Jerez-Xeres-Sherry Reserva Solera Moscatel Emilín
A fortified white wine with a soft and sweet taste with honey, citrus and spicy hints. It is definitely a very sweet sherry with a long taste and balanced natural acidity. Notes of oranges, peaches, figs, dates and burnt sugar are revealed in the taste of this drink.
Moscatel grapes grown in the company's vineyards are specially left in the sun to dry to the state of raisins.
Fermentation is interrupted early. This is done in order to preserve the natural sugar level of grapes.
Immediately after fermentation, a sample is taken to decide whether the wine is ready for the next stage of vinification.
Like other sherries, Moscatel Emilin is blended with distillate produced at the winery.
Williams & Humbert Jalifa Amontillado Viejo Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Elite sherry with an unusual VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) label. Aging period is 30 years.
It has two periods of aging: biologically aged under a layer of yeast and a physicochemical stage by oxidation.
Bright color with hints of very old gold and amber.
Aroma is sharp, intense and complex, with a hint of dry nuts and hazelnuts.
The taste is dry, with excellent acidity; long, rich and elegant aftertaste. Wonderful expressive and unforgettable finish that will not be forgotten.
Serves as an excellent aperitif and is served with cheese, ham or seafood.
Valdespino Jerez Dulce Sherry
Inexpensive Spanish sherry with excellent reviews from tasters. Made from a grape variety called palomino.
Leonor Jerez xeres Sherry Palomino Leonor
Sherry is 12 years old. Produced from the palomino grape variety.
The taste is characterized by citrus, roasted, nutty and honey notes.
The finish is long, giving off the aroma of old wood.
It is worth noting that this is not a complete list of sherry brands. Each of the producers strives to create a unique drink that will appeal to the consumer. So, taste, study the flavors and decide which sherry is right for you!
Update: 01.05.2018
Category: Wine and Vermouth