b March 7, 2013
Discover... Sherry 3 T
here is no set date for the start of the grape harvest. It is usually around the beginning of September when it is said that the Palomino grapes “surrender” - turning soft and sweet. It is essential that the grapes be picked at the optimal point of ripeness which is when they reach a minimum content of 10.5 degrees Baume (a scale that measures the amount of potential alcohol contained within the grapes). Even though 50% of the grapes are still hand-picked, machine harvesting is steadily taking over. The grapes used to produce the dry sherries, Palomino grapes, are placed in plastic crates and are transported to the wine-presses as fast as possible in order to ensure that the fruit is not damaged. PRESSING In earlier days, grapes were pressed by foot in “lagares” (large vats) by “pisadores” (grape stompers) who used special boots with nail soles designed to crush the grape skins. Since the sixties, modern machinery is utilized where the grapes are carefully de-stemmed, crushed, and pressed under controlled conditions. The grape juice or “must” obtained from the first pressing, through a very light application of pressure, is the "1st yema" and is used mainly to make Manzanilla and Fino sherry wines. The “2nd yema is the must obtained from a second pressing and is used to produce Oloroso type sherries. Any subsequent liquid obtained from further pressing is be used for distillation and the production of alcohol. As per the Regulations of the “Denominacion de Origen,” or D.O. (the Authority governing the local production of sherry wines), only 70 liters of the must obtained from each 100 kilos of grapes, may be used to produce Sherry wines. FERMENTATION After pressing of the grapes, the must obtained is then filtrated and subjected to a process of pH correction which helps prevent bacterial contamination during fermentation. Nowadays, just a few bodegas ferment the must in “botas” (wooden barrels identified as “butts”), instead, the fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks where the temperature can be controlled. Fermentation used to be a result that occurred through the action of natural yeasts, but now growers are adding cultivated yeasts to re-create the same process. The fermentation process in the Jerez region is divided into two clearly distinct stages. The first is called the "tumultuous" fermentation and lasts between 5 and 7 days. During this phase most of the sugar, contained within the must, converts into alcohol. Afterwards, the slow fermentation begins and the little sugar that is left will also turn into alcohol. By the end of November, a delicate, completely dry white wine, with an alcohol content of between 11 and 12% alcohol per volume, is obtained. This base wine will develop a layer of yeast on its surface which is called “velo de flor” or simply just “flor.” CLASSIFICATION AND FORTIFICATION At this point, the wines are ready to be clas-
How Sherry Wines Are Made Harves
sified. The “capataces” or cellarmasters will make the first of many important decisions which will determine the type of aging the new wines will undergo. This first classification will divide the wines in two main groups. The finest, palest, and most delicate wines will be identified with a slash (/) and will continuing their aging as Manzanillas or Finos under the velo de flor. The batches with a more robust body or “gordura”, will be identified with a circle (O) and will be aged as Olorosos. The next step after classification is to bring the wine’s alcohol strength to its optimal level. After fermentation, the base wine normally reaches around 12 % in alcohol strength. The wines classified as Finos or Manzanillas will be fortified with winedistillate to bring their alcohol content up to 15% alcohol per volume. This alcohol content creates the perfect environment for the flor to thrive and develop. Those wines destined to become Olorosos , however, will be fortified to 17% vol. or slightly higher. At this alcohol strength, the flor can no longer survive and, therefore, the wine underneath it will lose its protection and will age while exposed to the oxygen in the air. These different levels of fortification and alcohol content will define the type of development which the wines will undergo in their next phase of aging. The wines, with their new alcohol content, are transferred to typical oak barrels called butts, or botas, for the first stage of aging known as “sobretablas.” In other wine regions the wines
Story by Virginia Miller Sherry Wine Educator Photos from top left clockwise: Harvesters at Sunset, photo by the Consejo Regulador; Harvester Cutting Grapes, photo by the Consejo Regulador; “Velo de Flor”, photo by Vicky Miller; Marking the “Butt”, photo by the Consejo Regulador; Stomping Grapes, photo by the Consejo Regulador.