I soon discovered that it is was a fascinating drink with a long history and many different faces. If my story has a moral it would be to give everything a second chance. I always tell my sherry story to those who say they hate red wine because they tried a taste once and decided it was undrinkable. I think the real reason red wine has become such a hit during the last few years is that people have been convinced by wise acquaintances that making a decision with their heads rather than their hearts opens up a whole new world of taste sensations. Anyway,back to sherry.
True sherry comes from the Jerez region in Spain.
The term, like the terms Champagne and Chablis, has been used and abused by other countries in an attempt to create a product that can match Spain's product. Spanish sherry is produced in an interesting manner. First the grapes are pressed as they would be for normal white wine production. From there the wine is transferred to a system of barrels called a Solera. Younger sherries are combined with older sherries in a gradual process within the Solera allowing the different ages of wine to merry and influence the taste of the final product.