Sherry

Sherry(Spanish:jerez[xeˈɾeθ]) is afortified winemade from white grapes that are grown near the city ofJerez de la Fronterain Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from thePalominogrape, ranging from light versions similar to white table wines, such asManzanillaandfino, to darker and heavier versions that have been allowed tooxidiseas they age in barrel, such asAmontilladoandoloroso. Sweetdessert winesare also made fromPedro XiménezorMoscatelgrapes, and are sometimes blended with Palomino-based sherries.
Under the official name of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, it is one of Spain's wine regions, aDenominación de Origen Protegida(DOP). The wordsherryis ananglicisationof Xérès (Jerez). Sherry was previously known assack, from the Spanishsaca, meaning "extraction" from thesolera. In Europe, "sherry" hasprotected designation of originstatus, and underSpanish law, all wine labelled as "sherry" must legally come from theSherry Triangle, an area in the province ofCádizbetween Jerez de la Frontera,Sanlúcar de Barrameda, andEl Puerto de Santa María.In 1933 the Jerezdenominación de origenwas the first Spanishdenominaciónto be officially recognised in this way, officially namedD.O. Jerez-Xeres-Sherryand sharing the same governing council asD.O. Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Afterfermentationis complete, the base wines are fortified with grapespiritto increase their finalalcohol content.Wines classified as suitable for aging as fino and Manzanilla are fortified until they reach a total alcohol content of 15.5 percent by volume. As they age in a barrel, they develop a layer offlor—ayeast-like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation. Those wines that are classified to undergo aging as oloroso are fortified to reach an alcohol content of at least 17 per cent. They do not develop flor and so oxidise slightly as they age, giving them a darker colour. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, most sherries are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later. Despite thecommon misconceptionthat sherry is a sweet drink, most varieties are dry.In contrast,port wineis fortified halfway through its fermentation, which stops the process so that not all of the sugar is turned into alcohol.
Wines from different years are aged and blended using asolerasystem before bottling so that bottles of sherry will not usually carry a specific vintage year and can contain a small proportion of very old wine. Sherry is regarded by some wine writersas "underappreciated"and a "neglected wine treasure".
Jerez has been a centre ofviniculturesince wine-making was introduced to Spain by thePhoeniciansin 1100 BCE. The practice was carried on by theRomanswhen they took control of Iberia around 200 BCE. TheMoorsconquered the region in 711 CE and introduceddistillation, which led to the development ofbrandyand fortified wine.
During theMoorishperiod, the town was calledSherish(a transliteration of the Arabicشريش), from which bothsherryandJerezare derived. Wines similar in style to sherry have traditionally been made in the city ofShirazin mid-southern Iran, but it is thought unlikely that the name derives from there.Wine production continued through five centuries of Muslim rule. In 966,Al-Hakam II, the secondCaliph of Córdoba, ordered the destruction of the vineyards, but the inhabitants of Jerez appealed on the grounds that the vineyards also produced raisins to feed the empire's soldiers, and the Caliph spared two-thirds of the vineyards.
In 1264Alfonso X of Castiletook the city. From this point on, the production of sherry and its export throughout Europe increased significantly. By the end of the 16th century, sherry had a reputation in Europe as the world's finest wine.
Christopher Columbusbrought sherry on his voyage to the New World and whenFerdinand Magellanprepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on sherry than on weapons.
Sherry became very popular in Great Britain, especially afterFrancis DrakesackedCadizin 1587. At that time Cadiz was one of the most important Spanish seaports, and Spain was preparing an armada there to invade England. Among the spoils Drake brought back after destroying the fleet were 2,900 barrels of sherry that had been waiting to be loaded aboard Spanish ships.This helped popularize sherry in the British Isles.
Because sherry was a major wine export to the United Kingdom, many English companies and styles developed. Many of the Jerez cellars were founded by British families.
In 1894 the Jerez region was devastated by the insectphylloxera. Whereas larger vineyards were replanted with resistant vines, most smaller producers were unable to fight the infestation and abandoned their vineyards entirely.
On 12 April 2012, the rules applicable to the sweet and fortified Denominations of OrigenMontilla-Morilesand Jerez-Xérès-Sherrywere changed to prohibit terms such as "Rich Oloroso", "Sweet Oloroso" and "Oloroso Dulce".Such wines are to be labelled as "Cream Sherry: Blend of Oloroso / Amontillado" or suchlike.
The classification by sweetness is:
Spanish producers have registered the three namesJerez/Xérès/sherry, and so may prosecute producers of similar fortified wines from other places using any of the same names. In 1933, Article 34 of the SpanishEstatuto del Vino(Wine Law) established the boundaries of sherry production as the firstSpanish winedenominación. Today, sherry's official status is further recognized by widerEU legislation, under which "sherry" sold within the EU must come from the triangular area of the province ofCádizbetweenJerez de la Frontera,Sanlúcar de Barrameda, andEl Puerto de Santa María. However, the name "sherry" is used as asemi-genericin the United States where it must be labeled with a region of origin such as American sherry or California sherry. However, such wines cannot be exported to the EU.
Both Canadian and Australian winemakers now use the termAperainstead of sherry,while consumers still use the term sherry.
The Jerez district has a predictable climate, with approximately 70 days of rainfall and almost 300 days of sun per year. The rain mostly falls between the months of October and May, averaging 600 mm (24 in). The summer is dry and hot, with temperatures as high as 40 °C (104 °F), but winds from the ocean bring moisture to the vineyards in the early morning and the clays in the soil retain water below the surface. The average temperature across the year is approximately 18 °C (64 °F).
There are threetypes of soilin the Jerez district for growing the grapes for sherry:
Thealbarizasoil is the best for growing the Palomino grape, and by law, 40 percent of the grapes making up a sherry must come fromalbarizasoil. Thebarrosandarenassoil is mostly used for Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes.
The benefit of thealbarizasoil is that it can reflect sunlight back up to the vine, aiding it inphotosynthesis. The nature of the soil is very absorbent and compact so it can retain and maximize the use of the little rainfall that the Jerez region receives.
Before thephylloxerainfestation in 1894, there were estimated to be over one hundred varieties of grape used in Spain for the production of sherry,but now there are only three white grapes grown for sherry-making:
Sherry-style wines made in other countries often use other grape varieties.
The Palomino grapes are harvested in early September, andpressedlightly to extract themust. The must from the first pressing, theprimera yema, is used to produce Fino and Manzanilla; the must from the second pressing, thesegunda yema, will be used for Oloroso; the product of additional pressings is used for lesser wines, distillation, andvinegar. The must is then fermented in stainless steel vats until the end of November, producing a dry white wine with 11–12 per cent alcohol content. Previously, the fermentation and initial aging were done in wood; now it is almost exclusively done in stainless steel, with the exception of one or two high-end wines.
Immediately after fermentation, the wine is sampled and the first classification is performed. The casks are marked with the following symbols according to the potential of the wine:
The sherry isfortifiedusingdestilado, made by distilling wine, usually fromLa Mancha. The distilled spirit is first mixed with mature sherry to make a 50/50 blend known asmitad y mitad(half and half), and then themitad y mitadis mixed with the younger sherry to the proper proportions. This two-stage procedure is performed so the strong alcohol will not shock the young sherry and spoil it.
The fortified wine is stored in 500-litre casks made of North Americanoak, which is more porous than French or Spanish oak. The casks, orbutts, are filled five-sixths full, leaving "the space of two fists" empty at the top to allowflorto develop on top of the wine.
Sherry is then aged in thesolerasystem where new wine is put intowine barrelsat the beginning of a series of three to nine barrels. Periodically, a portion of the wine in a barrel is moved into the next barrel down, using tools called thecanoa(canoe) androciador(sprinkler) to move the wine gently and avoid damaging the layer of flor in each barrel. At the end of the series, only a portion of the final barrel is bottled and sold. Depending on the type of wine, the portion moved may be between five and thirty percent of each barrel. This process is called "running the scales" because each barrel in the series is called a scale. Thus, the age of the youngest wine going in the bottle is determined by the number of barrels in the series, and every bottle also contains some much older wine than is stated. Sherry is aged in the solera for a minimum of two years.A large solera system may consist of scales that require more than one barrel to hold. The word 'solera' means 'on the ground'; this refers to the stacking system that was, and sometimes still is, used, with the youngest barrels at the top and the oldest scale, also somewhat ambiguously called 'the solera', at the bottom. Of late, sherry producers and marketers have been bottling their winesen rama, with only a light filtration, and often a selection of a favored barrel from a larger solera.  Such sherries can be considerably more complex in flavour than the standard bottlings, and, according to many, are worth seeking out.In order to allow the sale of reliable average age-dated sherries, the regulating council has set up a system that accurately tracks the average age of the wines as they move through their solera. Two average age-dated categories are recognized:  VOS ('Vinum Optimum Signatum' – 20 years old average age minimum) and VORS ('Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum' – 30 years old average age minimum).
Sherry-seasoned casks are sold to theScotch whiskyindustry for use in agingwhisky.Other spirits and beverages may also be aged in used sherry casks. Contrary to what most people think, these sherry-seasoned casks are specifically prepared for the whisky industry, they are not the same as the old (and largely inactive) butts used for the maturation of sherry.
Once bottled, sherry does not generally benefit from further aging and may be consumed immediately, though the sherries that have been aged oxidatively may be stored for years without noticeable loss in flavour. Bottles should be stored upright to minimize the wine's exposed surface area. As with other wines, sherry should be stored in a cool, dark place. The best fino sherries, aged for longer than normal before bottling, such as Manzanilla Pasada, will continue to develop in the bottle for some years.
Fino and Manzanilla are the most fragile types of sherry and should usually be drunk soon after opening, in the same way as unfortified wines. In Spain, Finos are often sold in half bottles, with any remaining wine being thrown out if it is not drunk the same day it is opened.Amontillados and Olorosos will keep for longer, while sweeter versions such as PX, and blended cream sherries, are able to last several weeks or even months after opening since the sugar content acts as a preservative.
Sherry is traditionally drunk from acopita(also referred to as acatavino), a special tulip-shaped sherry glass. Sampling wine directly from a sherry butt may be performed with a characteristic flourish by avenenciador, named after the special cup (thevenencia) traditionally made of silver and fastened to a long whale whisker handle. The cup, narrow enough to pass through thebung hole, withdraws a measure of sherry which is then ceremoniously poured from a head height into acopitaheld in the other hand.
Various types are often mixed with lemonade (and usually ice). Thislong drinkis now calledRebujito. A similar drink in theVictorian erawas thesherry cobbler, shaken and served over shaved ice.
Many literary figures have written about sherry, includingWilliam Shakespeare,Benito Pérez Galdós,andEdgar Allan Poe(in his story "The Cask of Amontillado").
BrothersFrasierandNiles Cranefrequently consume sherry on the TV sitcomFrasier.
In the UK television showYes Minister,Jim Hackerfrequently drinks sherry withSir Humphrey ApplebyandBernard Woolleyin his office.
Sherry, and Amontillado specifically, is heavily featured in season 3, episode 10 ofMonty Python's Flying Circus.
Sherry is frequently mentioned in the novelTinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and plays an important role in the narrative: the spy Jim Prideaux is alerted to the presence of a double agent within his division when RussianKGBagents are able to correctly identify the brand of sherry that was consumed during a secret meeting ofMI6personnel.
In John Mortimer's long-runningRumpole of the Baileybook and television series, Horace Rumpole continually complains about how various family doctors are served sherry by his wife Hilda when they visit. For example, in 'Rumpole and the Boat People':
The historic sherry cellars have given rise to a breed of Spanish dog, theAndalusian wine-cellar rat-hunting dog, andiconic bull postersused to advertise sherry.
The filmWithnail and Ifeatures a much-quoted scene where the two protagonists are offered sherry by the lecherous Uncle Monty.
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