NL 15: The Joy of Sherry
and Guild Members' personal picks from the Waitrose wine aisles.
The Joy of Sherry
You either love it or hate it, in my experience there is no other way to look at it, basically, it’s a bit of a Marmite drink. There is no doubt that sherry causes debate with its many styles from bone dry to sweet.
The first thing people tend to say to me when I mention Sherry is “Don’t like Sherry too sweet” but do they really know or understand it? Some still think it’s a little old fashioned and something only your grandmother drinks. But the he vast majority of quality sherry (such as Fino, Manzanilla, and Amontillado) are actually bone-dry, tangy, and salty.
But saying that, I always remembered my Grandmother having a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream, she would have one glass on Christmas day then leave the bottle until the following Christmas and have another glass, to her it still tasted fine and didn’t do her any harm.
In my experience the drier sherries are the ones people find the hardest to come to terms with, some just don’t get that salty, saline and nutty flavour.
In Spain it’s still seen as a trendy drink even with the younger generation and many bars specialise in it. Over here in the UK it’s still a harder sell, but it seems people are starting to appreciate it more and more and not just a drink for Christmas.
‘In my opinion it’s one of the most misunderstood wines out there.’
Styles of Sherry
Produced in the “Sherry Triangle” of Andalusia, Spain—specifically Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. Primarily made from Palomino grapes, it is aged using a unique solera system (blending younger and older wines)
Fino — Clear, bone dry with aromas of bready dough and almonds, aged in barrels with a covering of yeast on the surface which is referred to as Flor to prevent oxidation, must be served chilled and is great with salty Tapas including olives, nuts and Jamon Serrano. Best drunk young. Typically around 15 -17% abv
Manzanilla — the driest sherry and clear, very similar to Fino (still with a layer of Flor) with perhaps a sharper taste and slightly salty, again great with Tapas, nuts and salty dishes. Typically around 15–17% abv
Amontillado — Aged under Flor initially then fortified again with alcohol again this time at a higher level (16 -18% abv) which breaks up the Flor allowing for oxidation, creating a darker colour wine with a more pronounced nuttier caramel-like flavour although still on the dry side.
Palo Cortado — One of the rarer sherries, starting out as a Fino under a layer of Flor, when the Flor dies off naturally it starts to resemble an Amontillado style, then, for some unknown reason begins to develop a richer more complex flavour like that of the next darker style, Oloroso. 16–18% abv
Oloroso — No Flor here, still quite dry, darker browny amber gold colour with more pronounced flavours, still nutty with prunes, raisins and butterscotch. 16–20% abv
Pedro Ximénez (PX) / Moscatel — Extremely sweet style, made with PX grapes that have been dried out in the sun to increase sugar levels. Usually dark brown in colour thick and syrupy and very sweet with flavours of figs, raisins, toffee, chocolate and liquorice. Moscatel is similar, both styles are labelled under their grape variety. Normally around 17–17.5% abv.
What is Flor?
Flor is a film of yeast on the surface of the wine, important in the manufacture of some styles of sherry. During the fermentation phase of sherry production, the flor yeast works anaerobically, converting sugar into ethanol. It is also essential to keep young wines away from exposure to air by sealing (covering ) the surface of the wine in airtight barrels, to avoid contamination that tends to spoil it.
What is the Solera System?
The sherry Solera system is a traditional, dynamic fractional blending method used to age sherry in stacked tiers of barrels called Criaderas. Older wine is drawn from the bottom row (the Solera) for bottling, then replenished with slightly younger wine from the level above, repeating this down the stack to ensure consistent flavour, quality, and complexity over time.
What do you eat with Sherry?
.As general rule of thumb, some thoughts from me….
Finos and Manzanillas - (Dry, salty, yeasty )
Jamon Iberico, Almonds, Olives, Potato croquettes, any Fried Fish
Amontillado
Artichokes, Asparagus, anything savoury
Oloroso
Red Meat, Game, strong Cheese
PX (sweet)
Churros,
Poured over Ice Cream,
Blue cheese
If it swims – Fino.
If it flies – Amontillado.
If it runs – Oloroso.
My top choices
Waitrose Personal Picks
Editor’s Note: The Waitrose 25% off 6 or more bottles (any wine or fizz over £6) runs from Wednesday 25th March - 7th April. These Waitrose events are less frequent than most of the other supermarkets - so we asked each Guild Member which bottle(s) they would include within “their 6 bottles”, and why!
Cantina Di Negrar Recioto Della Valpolicella £17.50. 50cl 12.5% £17.50 (50cl bottle)
A red dessert wine. Essentially a sweet version of Amarone della Valpolicella. The perfect pairing for chocolatey desserts or salty cheeses (e.g. gorgonzola) but I would also recommend with cantucci, those hard almond biscotti often served in Tuscany with Vin Santo.
Loved & Found Braucol IGP Comté Tolosan 12.5% £9.25
A light red wine from SW France showcasing the aromatic local grape Braucol (aka Fer Servadou). Don’t be put off by unfamiliar names. This is a bright, fruity, and silky -smooth wine. What’s not to like?
Graham Beck Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut NV, £16.50
Made using the Cap Classique method, which is the same as in Champagne. This has Lime zest, Brioche and stone fruits, with a creamy richness.
Silk & Spice Portuguese Red Blend, £12
This is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet, and Baga. Rich and bold, with dark plum fruits, lots of vanilla, chocolate, peppery spice, with some nutmeg and cinnamon. Hint of sweetness.
Blueprint German Dry Riesling 11% £7.60
Text book example of Riesling - aromatic and refreshing with a stony edge. Somewhat of a bargain. Great on its own, but very food friendly with fish, chicken or veggie stir-fries.
Loved & Found Touriga Franca Portugal 13% £9.50
Unusual stand-alone opportunity for this grape to shine from the Alentejo. It certainly brightens up any Easter herb-crusted lamb.
2022 Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent Roches Rouges, 13.5% abv, £20
With 25% off, there are opportunities to re-stock with favourites, or perhaps go extravagant! This Cru Beaujolais is top notch. More substantial, and age worthy, than a typical Fleurie, almost Burgundian in style. It would suit lamb, steak or even game. Worth decanting.
2024 Waitrose Blueprint White Burgundy, £7.95 12.5% abv, Half Bottle
An elegant, fruit forward Chardonnay with good texture. Perhaps this with a starter followed by the Moulin-a-Vent with lamb. What an Easter wine pairing! And the empty screw top half bottle is useful for portioning any full bottle across 2 meals!
Thanks for reading! MidWeek Wines Guild is free to all readers. If you have found something you think others will like, please consider Sharing and/or Liking this Post. It really helps us if you Subscribe, and we also love to read your Comments.
You can contact the Guild, directly, via midweekwinesguild@iCloud.com
Coming up …
Newsletter No 15.5 (28th March)
Richard Wyndham - A Guide to In-Person Tastings
In our Sister Publication, MidWeek Wines (30th March)
More Monday Top Tips from Brian Elliott
Newsletter No 16 (2nd April)
Keith Evans - Wine Tasting the Garden of England
Note: Our ‘Thursday” Newsletters are usually published on Wednesdays at 19.00. And our new initiative, “Saturday” Newsletters will be published on Fridays at 19.00. Brian’s Monday posts are published early on Monday mornings.
Well done Dave for championing Sherry through this article. It’s my favourite style of wine and I totally agree that it is a very misunderstood family of styles. I’ve explored the Sherry Triangle, visited many of the Sherry houses and have had some brilliant experiences doing so.
Nice summary ,Dave.Sherry is the most undervalued,unappreciated alcoholic drink.It is amazingly food friendly and often offers exceptional value for money.
It is basically an aged white wine and most styles are dry,not sweet.
My go-to Sherry for years was a half bottle of great value Morrisons Palo Cortado which seems to have disappeared.But I do like the look of M&S Palo Cortado £9 for half a bottle and Lustau is a top class Sherry producer.