Wine Column

Sherry wines for the winter

WRITTEN BY MARY MEHLICH | PHOTO BY ELIZABETH REED

Idecided to talk about sherry because tastes when combined create the world nuts. Serve at room temperature. Pair it is a great Winter wine. Lots of folks of sherry wines. with fish, mushroom dishes, asparagus, drink red in the Winter months, but As a consequence of the longstanding artichokes or semi-cured cheeses. there are those folks that simply wine growing tradition, oenology in Jerez Oloroso ranges in color from amber don’t care for red wine. This is where is one of the most highly developed in the to mahogany, the darker having ben sherry comes in. It is fortified (15 to 18 % world. aged longer. Warm, rounded aromas are ABV) and sure to warm your bones on a Let’s take a closer look at the different both complex and intense. The bouquet cold winter day. types and what food pairs best with them. is vegetal, nutty, toasty with hints of

Sherry is a fortified wine of Spanish Pale Cream Sherry is light and fresh balsamic, wood and tobacco. There are origin from the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DOP with a delicate sweetness that pairs spicy overtones reminiscent of truffles in the province of Cadiz, in the region wonderfully with foie gras, pate and fresh and leather. Full bodied and structured of Andalusia. There are only three fruit such as pear or melon. Serve this and complex. Very smooth on the palate authorized grape types that sherry can wine chilled. with a dry finish. Serve slightly chilled be made from: Medium Cream Sherry has an aroma and pair with red meat/game, stews, • Palomino of pastries such as baked apple tarts. casseroles or well cured cheeses. • Pedro Ximenez It begins with a slightly dry mouth, Palo Cortado is a wine of great • Moscatel gradually becoming sweeter to finish with complexity. It has aromas of lemon and

These three varieties are traditionally a smooth finish. Serve this wine chilled. bitter orange with a round ample palate. used throughout the Jerez region. They This sherry is wonderful as an aperitif It is smooth with a long complex dry belong to the Vitis vinifera species, which but also works well with pate, quiche and finish. Pair with charcuterie. give the grapes the quality required to spicy/hot curry dishes. Manzanilla is pale, light tangy and a produce sherry. Cream Sherry ranges in color from very dry Sherry made only in Sanlucar de

Palomino is the most traditional medium brown to dark mahogany and is Barrameda. Manzanilla is the driest of all of all the varieties and has been used dense in appearance. Aromas of roasted Sherries. Pair with sushi sashimi, prawns, for centuries. Palomino Grapes are nuts with a hint of sweetness. It is an sardines, mussels or smoked salmon. primarily used to make dry sherries. It is elegant wine, velvety and fuller bodied Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel are the undisputable leader within the Jerez with a well-balanced sweetness and a extremely sweet, dark brown, dessert region. long, lingering finish. Serve chilled. It is Sherries. Often lower in alcohol, these

Pedro Ximenez , also a traditional great as an aperitif or served on ice with Sherries are made from raisined grapes variety , has a greater sugar content with an orange slice. of those two varietals. higher levels of acidity to produce sweet Fino has aromas of almonds, herbs and Aged Pedro Ximenez Sherries are a real wines of great quality. yeast. The palate is delicate, dry and light delicacy, thick and dark in color, ideal to

Muscat or Moscatel is a variety used in finishing with an enjoyable aftertaste be had with vanilla Bean ice cream. the Jerez region. This variety originated of almonds. Serve chilled. It is an ideal “On Sherry: The destiny of a thousand in Africa but is used throughout the aperitif but also pairs well with many generations is concentrated in each drop. world to make wine. In the Jerez region types of tapas as well as shellfish and salty If the cares of the world overwhelm you, Moscatel is produced for sweet wines of fish. Such as anchovies. only taste it, pilgrim, and you will swear the highest quality. Amontillado has a delicate and subtle that heaven is on earth.”

Diversity is undoubtably one of the nose with aromas of hazelnut, hint of —Pedro Antonio de Alarcon— principle characteristics of sherry. Many herbs and tobacco. It is smooth and light Mary Mehlich is the owner of Wine different wines offering us an endless with a well-balanced acidity. The wine is & Words & Gourmet in downtown array of colors, aromas, textures and dry and has lingering hints of wood and Washington. ⋇