Sherry is for life, not just for Christmas

A couple of weeks ago, I was very lucky to have lunch at Aiko, a wonderful new Japanese/Italian fusion restaurant on Chancery Lane. While the idea of blending Italian and Japanese flavours were intriguing, what really wowed me was host Stefano’s focus on sherry as the perfect accompaniment to his food. I was dining with a friend who has never drunk sherry before, and on taking her first sip of Tio Pepe Fino she wasn’t hugely impressed. “It’s quite bitter…” she told me, which is a common first impression. Then our sushi selection arrived, and when paired with all those salty, fishy flavours, the bitterness vanished and was replaced by refreshing acidity and light nuttiness. Suddenly my friend understood why I bang on about Sherry all the time. This is the ultimate food wine.

 

So what exactly IS Sherry?

Sherry is a fortified white wine made in Andalucia in southern Spain. During fermentation, barrels are not filled completely which allows a film of yeast called “flor” to develop on top of the wine to protect it from oxidation. The barrels are topped up with fresh wine periodically in order to keep the flor alive and then after one year the cellar master will taste the wines and decide which style each barrel is destined for. He then administers the necessary amount of grape spirit to begin the next process. For Fino and Manzanilla, he aims for 15% ABV; for Oloroso he raises the alcohol to 18% which kills the flor and allows oxidation to begin.

 

Flor layer on top of the fermenting sherry (pic courtesy of http://eng.sograpevinhos.com)

So from super dry to super sweet, here’s my guide to the wide range of sherry styles and how to best enjoy them…

 

Fino & Manzanilla: These are bone dry wines, high in acidity and both very similar in flavour profile: crunchy green apples, almonds, lemons. Manzanilla is different from Fino in that it has to be aged in the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda where the humidity encourages a thicker flor layer and the resulting wine is a touch saltier. In truth, I’m not sure I can taste the difference! Both are best served cold from the fridge as you would a Sauvignon Blanc, and taste best with foods that are high in salt, fat and vinegar. In Andalucia everyone drinks this with olives, salted nuts, and the delicious local jamon, but (as I discovered the other day) it is also fantastic with sushi and sashimi. I would highly recommend either Tio Pepe Fino or La Gitana Manzanilla, both widely available in supermarkets and wine shops for around £10.

 

Jamon Iberico, perfect with sherry

Amontillado: this is where the flor has failed so the wine is lightly oxidised, resulting in flavours of toast and hazelnut. This is quite a good starting point for any sherry novice as it’s softer than a Fino, and it comes into its own when served with cured meats and cheeses. Best served lightly chilled.

 

Palo Cortado: this is my absolute favourite, a sherry that is apparently accidental in its making. It starts off its life developing into an Amontillado but the flor inexplicably disappears so it then starts ageing as an Oloroso. The resulting wine is dry and tastes of hazelnuts and dried figs, and is best served lightly chilled. Waitrose do a fabulous own-label Palo Cortado for £9.99 which is a permanent feature in our fridge.

 

Oloroso: a fully-oxidised Sherry so expect intense nuttiness (walnuts), dried fruit and toffee. My favourite Oloroso’s are the dry ones, where the toffee flavour acts almost like a haunting sweetness – bizarre I know but you’ll understand if you try it. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 12 yr old Oloroso is an off-dry version which is excellent quality for the £8 price tag, rich with prune and walnut notes which would be divine with blue cheese or even a dark chocolate pudding.

 

Pedro Ximenez: Pedro Ximenez is actually one of the grape varieties that is used to sweeten sherry, and this wine is made by drying PX grapes in the sunshine before making them into a lusciously sweet wine which is reminiscent of Christmas Pudding! Delicious with chocolate desserts or just poured over ice cream.

 

NB: Both Amontillado and Oloroso come in dry or sweet styles, the latter made by adding luscious PX wine before bottling. “Cream Sherry” is another name for PX-sweetened Oloroso which you may have seen in your Granny’s drinks cabinet.

 

Happy Swigging!