Although in the case of sherry it is not absolutely essential to drink the bottle in one go, direct contact with oxygen present in the air brought about by removing the cork from the bottle accelerates the natural development of the wine. As with any other type of quality wine the bottles must be kept in a dark, quiet place with no temperature fluctuations or vibrations.
Unlike other wines, sherry bottles should be stored upright in order to reduce the surface of wine exposed to oxidation to a minimum. As a general guideline, and always on the condition that the bottles have been carefully transported and stored without suffering any major fluctuations in temperature, we may say that these periods are the following:.
The traditional wine tasting glass if it is large enough is an ideal glass for Sherry served as an aperitif or dessert wine. However we recommend a good quality generic white wine glass with a generous bowl which will allow the wine to breathe and a long stem so that the wine stays cool. This is always the best choice of glass to enjoy Sherry at the table during the meal. With the exception of Finos and Manzanillas there is no fixed rule about serving temperatures as these depend on what one is eating, but here are some general recommendations:.
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Let's start with the basics. Sherry, which hails from Spain's oldest wine-producing region, is a lightly fortified white wine encompassing the driest white wines in the world in the form of 'fino' and 'manzanilla' right through to some of the sweetest a "PX" or "Pedro Ximenez" sherry can weigh in at anything up to grams of residual sugar per litre, so not one for those counting the calories!
In addition, there are numerous styles in between which bridge the gap nicely between dry and sweet. Generally speaking, sherry wines fall into two categories, those lighter, drier styles which are aged under a living layer of yeast called the "flor" think fino, manzanilla, amontillado , and those which are subject to oxidative ageing, and tend to be higher in alcohol and house different flavour characteristics, "oloroso" sherries oloroso meaning 'fragrant' in Spanish.
An interesting way to think of sherry is to consider that it is just the local white wine of the region.
The three towns, despite being less than 20 minutes' drive apart, all produce sherries with their own certain nuances. Sanlucar de Barrameda for example, which is situated on the coast, is famous for its manzanilla — and is the only town of the three that is permitted to make this style of wine.
Incidentally, for those who often see manzanilla and fino next to each other on a wine list and are confused by the difference between the two, the simple answer is actually very little. They are produced in exactly the same way — young wines made from the indigenous Palomino Fino grape are aged under flor.
Manzanilla, however, is produced only in Sanlucar and due to the town's coastal location and climatic conditions the wines take on a slightly different character. As mentioned earlier, the best way to experience the full joy of sherry is to enjoy it with the right food.
Though you may be most familiar with cream sherry, the syrupy, old-school post-dinner drink is just one of many sherry styles, the majority of which are actually dry, sometimes verging on savory. You can go from town to town and see that each town has so much of its own personality [bound up] in sherry. Sherry wineries, called bodegas , age wine in one of two ways, depending on the characteristics of the grape and the intended result.
Fino and Manzanilla sherries are subjected to biological aging, in which flor , a layer of naturally occurring yeast, creates an anaerobic environment that reduces glycerol content and boosts savory notes of almonds and herbs.
Meanwhile, Amontillado and Oloroso sherries—which often employ heavier, fuller-bodied musts—undergo oxidative aging, in which the wine comes in contact with the air, allowing for a subtle sweetness and generally darker color. Once the intended type of sherry is chosen, the producer uses a strict aging structure known as the criaderas -and-soleras system, which involves a pyramid-like stacking arrangement of the aging casks based on vintage: The oldest tier of wines is on the bottom, and the newer ones are on top.
Some wine is periodically removed from each of the various casks and replaced with new wine in a fractional blending process of "taking and adding," thereby blending various vintages at different points in the aging process to create consistent bottlings. But the allure of sherry isn't just its quality, or the intricacies of its production; it's the drinking traditions associated with it.
Ready to dive in? We asked Tseng to break down the major styles and share her picks for each category. The driest of the styles, Fino is biologically aged under flor the yeast that forms a layer to prevent oxidation and matured for at least two years in barrels, usually oak. The best Finos, bottled at between four and seven years, are pale in color and typically offer strong notes of minerality, with hints of almond, oak, and sometimes even vanilla.
This proximity to the ocean and its saltwater winds often gives it coastal qualities, including higher salinity and a lighter body.
It eats out the sugar, oxygen, and glycerol, so you can get a very light-bodied wine. Amontillado is what happens to a Fino or Manzanilla when it continues to age after the flor dies off, at which point it can interact with oxygen. As the sherry base oxidizes, it takes on a nuttier character and a fun savory element—notes of peanuts and hazelnuts are good indicators—along with a dry, salty-caramel quality.
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