What is Sherry Wine? Everything You Need to Know
What is Sherry Wine? I am sure you must have drunk this wine and don’t know exactly what it is, or you must have heard a friend talk about it. No worries, as you read through, I will satisfy your curiosity by telling you all you need to know about sherry wine.
What is Sherry Wine?
Sherry is a wine created using white grapes. Palomino is a dominant grape type in dry variants, while sweet varieties such as cream sherry may incorporate Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel.
Sherries are aged in a unique technique known as the solera, in which barrels of fortified wines remain for years at ambient temperatures.
Portions of the wine are periodically withdrawn from the oldest barrels for bottling, and fresh stocks are added to maintain the solera.
What Is the Solera System?
Aside from biological and oxidative aging, sherry is also noted for its distinctive aging schedule, which employs a solera system.
In short, barrels are stacked in a triangle-like structure according to the cask’s base vintage, with the oldest wines on the bottom and the most recent base vintages on top.
In a technique known as fractional blending, wine is periodically withdrawn from casks and replaced with newer wine from the top.
This method not only assures that multiple vintages are present in one cask, but it also results in a more uniform flavor profile throughout the wine.
What are the Main Grapes Used in Sherry Production?
Palomino is the most commonly used grape variety in sherry production, especially in dry categories.
Although more rarely cultivated, the Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel types are utilized to make sweeter sherry. All three types of grapes are white.
What are the Styles of Aging for Sherry?
Aside from the grape variety, how sherry is matured defines its category and final flavor character.
Sherry wines are aged in two major ways: biologically and oxidatively. Biological aging, which is used to make Fino and Manzanilla sherries, involves allowing the wine to rest beneath a coating of naturally occurring yeast, known as flor.
The presence of flor produces an anaerobic environment for the wine, reducing glycerol levels. These bone-dry wines have savory, salty, and herbaceous flavors on the palate.
On the contrary, oxidative aging, which is employed for Amontillado, Oloroso, and sweeter sherries, does not include flor in the aging process but rather exposes the wine to extended contact with air.
This alters both the color and flavor profile of the wine; whereas Fino and Manzanilla wines are lighter in color and drier in style, these fuller-bodied oxidative wines are darker pigmented, heavier on the palate, and generally exhibit more nutty, caramel-driven notes (though this does not always imply sweetness).
Types of Sherry
The Sherry category includes a variety of varietals and production processes, ranging from bone-dry fino to creamy, unctuous cream Sherry. Visit our Sherry reviews page to locate the best-reviewed bottles of any type of Sherry.
1. Fino
Finos are Sherry’s driest and most saline type. These are often prepared from high-acid Palomino grapes grown in chalky white soils known as albariza.
These tank-fermented white wines spend their whole fortified life covered in a layer of yeast known as flor, which prevents the wine from oxidation.
Finos typically contain 15-16% alcohol by volume (abv), are best served cold, and combine perfectly with salty appetizers such as peanuts, potato chips, cured olives, and fried fish.
2. Manzanilla
This flinty kind of Sherry is essentially fino created in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Manzanillas, like finos, use the same winemaking and aging-under-flor processes to maintain freshness while increasing salinity. Manzanillas, being the lightest of Sherries, combine extremely well with raw fish.
3. Amontillado
There is no assurance that a flor blanket will hold, and when it does not, the outcome is amontillado. Amontillados turn brown because of prolonged contact with air inside the solera barrels.
Instead of the crisp, saline flavors of finos and manzanillas, amontillados offer oxidized undertones of nuttiness, sautéed mushrooms, and a richness best described as umami.
They are usually around 18% abv and go well with medium-bodied soups or flavorfully sauced pork, pheasant, or rabbit.
4. Oloroso
Whereas amontillado is a Sherry in which the flor naturally breaks apart, an oloroso is one in which the cellar master deliberately destroys the flor to encourage oxidation.
Olorosos can be sweet or dry, depending on whether the wine contains sweet Moscatel or is made entirely from dry Palomino grapes. Like amontillado, which has an abv of 18-19%, olorosos can age in barrels for decades, adding richness and depth.
5. Palo Cortado
Palo Cortado, Sherry’s wildcard, begins life beneath Flor before losing that cover as it moves toward Amontillado.
Along the way, however, something mysterious occurs, and the wine becomes richer and more regal, similar to oloroso.
The word “palo cortado” comes from a cross usually carved in white chalk on the barrel’s outside to indicate that it is not amontillado or oloroso. Palo cortado is an exquisite, gently sweet sherry that is best drunk on its own.
6. Cream Sherry and Pedro Ximénez
Sweet sherries exist in a variety of styles and quality levels. A basic cream Sherry is similar to an oloroso, but it contains sweet grapes such as Pedro Ximénez (PX) or Moscatel.
Sun-drying freshly selected grapes concentrate sugars and tastes in sophisticated varietal PX and Moscatel-based Sherries. These can be black, unctuous wines with a viscosity similar to motor oil.
How to Drink Sherry
Sherry can be consumed straight or incorporated into a drink.
If you intend to drink it straight, pay attention to the various styles, as they have very diverse flavor profiles.
Fino, manzanilla, amontillado, and oloroso are examples of drier wines. If you want sweeter cocktails, try palo cortado, cream, or Pedro Ximénez sherries. Serve Sherry at 57-60°F.
This fortified wine works well in cocktails. And if you want to make some low-ABV drinks, sherry is the right addition. It can be found in low-alcohol beverages such as the La Vida Dolce and The Nice One Sherry Cocktail.
Sherry Drinks that You Can Try
Sherry drinks offer a plethora of options for cocktail enthusiasts. Here are six of our favorite cocktail recipes featuring different varieties of Sherry.
1. Julia Child Sherry Cocktail
Dry fino. This martini-inspired beverage features sherry and crisp gin. For the most refreshing experience, serve it in chilled glassware.
2. Butchertown Cocktail
This powerful Sherry cocktail uses a blast of rich, nutty amontillado to add richness to rye whiskey. The finished result is a refined take on the classic Old Fashioned.
3. Fino Swizzle Cocktail
In this simple cocktail, crisp, dry fino Sherry is enhanced with fruity flavor and tiki flair. Serve over a pebble or broken ice and garnish with a fresh mint spring.
4. The Sherry Colada Cocktail
This Sherry drink is a low-proof, nutty spin on a classic Piña Colada. It uses amontillado as the foundation and aged rum to balance the alcohol levels.
5. Sherry Chamber #1 Cocktail
This low-alcohol Sherry drink was created for the winter 2021 beverage menu at Jaleo, José Andrés’ tapas restaurant chain. It combines fino and amontillado sherry with pear-infused wheat beer.
6. Up-to-Date Sherry Cocktail
Another Old Fashioned that blends amontillado and rye, this Sherry drink comes from Nashville’s Henrietta Red restaurant.
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