ON THE VINE: A Taste of Sherry

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By Art LiPuma, , General Manager SeaSide Wine & Spirits, Old Saybrook, CT

A Taste of Sherry

The great country of Spain produces one of the finest fortified wines, called Sherry. These wines are made from white grapes. Palomino is the grape mostly used as it develops into a bone dry wine. Moscatel is the grape used for some of the sweeter sherries.

Southern Spain is the area for producing these spectacular fortified wines. Andalucía is the most important area in southern Spain which includes three towns: Sanlŭcar de Barrameda, Puerta de Santa Maria are on the cost and more inland is Jerez de la Frontera. These vineyards grow grapes in sandy soils, with components of clay.

During the growing season the temperatures are around 80 but can reach into the 90’s. After the Palomino grape is picked it then goes through the same process as any white wine made from Spain. Where the process changes is after a year. The wine then gets fortified with pure alcohol as to raise the alcohol content to 14.5 percent. This in turns stabilizes the wine and provides nutrients for the yeast called Flor. Flor is yeast that feeds on the sugar of the

grapes which helps in the making of Fino wines, a very dry sherry. When the yeast doesn’t break down the sugars it will be used for Oloroso style sherries.

The wine is made to be consistent through the years due to the Solera system. The Solera method is used in storing sherries in barrels that are stacked four to five high. The wine is then slowly blended with older wine and newer wine from the top barrel down to the bottom barrel, which is where the final product is taken from, hence maintaining consistent flavor. The wine from the second layer of the barrels is replaced with new wine and so on down to the lower barrels. None of the barrels are completely filled.

There are several styles of Sherries that range from dry to sweet. Fino is the lightest in color and the driest coming from the town of Jerzez. Manzanilla is the most delicate sherry which comes from the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. Like Fino this light style

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sherry has a slight nuttiness to it and is bone dry. Fino Amontillado is wine that has been aged over five years and the Flor or ‘active yeast’ has died, which oxidizes the wine to a pale almond color. When the wine is aged for more than tens year it develops a darker color. The wine also develops a softer rich taste without losing its dryness.

There are also producers that keep some separate from the Solera system to produce vintage Sherry. Oloroso wine is aged more than ten years in the Solera System producing more intense flavors while keeping its dryness. Oloroso’s are also blended with Pedro Ximenez which develops into a sweeter style wine also known as cream sherry. Mocatel wines are sweeter. They keep their sweetness by fortifying them through mentation.

that has been producing wine since1835. Hidalgo-La Gitana is a family owned winery for over 200 years. They produce one of the best Manzanilla Sherries. There is quite a difference in taste then regular white wine. Sherry has a light nuttiness and hints of celery and most are very dry. The intense flavors also make it for a great cooking wine. Sherry is a versatile wine with its many different styles and can be paired with many dishes including, dessert. However, many people like to use sherry as an after dinner cocktail.

Cheers!

Art LiPuma, General Manager at SeaSide Wine & Spirits 118 Main St, Old Saybrook, Connecticut www.seasidewineandspirits.com

Some of the big producers: Emilio Lustau has been around since 1896 and produces a wide variety of sherries from bone dry to intensely rich and slightly sweet. Gonzalez Byass is another vineyard