"Sherry"
has been treated as a generic name here in the US. The same sad
abuse that has befallen so many European wine names has taken
meaning awat from the word. To the American consumer any light
colored fortified wine can be called sherry. Many of us think
of Sherry as a flavoring agent in cooking rather than a potable
beverage. This is very unfair to the classic family of great wines
from the region of Jerez in Andalucia, Spain. In fact the European
Union now forbids the use of the name Sherry except as it applies
to the regulated "Denominacion de Origen" wines regulated
by Spanish law. As good as some domestic sherry-type products
may be, it seems fair that only the genuine Spanish article should
be called Sherry.
Winemaking
in southwest Spain appears to go back 3,000 years. The Phoenicians
of over 1,000 BC were followed by the Phoenicians and Romans.
After a succession of tribal upheavals, the region was under Moorish
domination until the 13th century. Christian conquest
may not have led to tranquility but viticulture was revived. Spain’s
Sherry country asserted itself. By the late 1400’s Sherry had
established itself as a major export item with England and France
as major customers.
Most
Sherry is made from the Palomino Fino grape and its predecessor
the Palomino Basto. Pedro Ximenez and Muscat of Alexandria are
two less common grape types. The first stage of winemaking is
rather normal with fresh grapes destalked and pressed before fermenting
in neutral (usually stainless steel) temperature controlled tanks.
The two major Sherry types are often separated from the beginning.
Older vines, especially those planted in the finest mineral-laden
white soils, are most amenable to the style called "Fino",
the lighter and drier branch of the Sherry family. "Oloroso",
the darker and heavier style of Sherry, tends to come from darker
(mixed clay) soils. Another consistent difference comes with the
addition of grape spirit (alcohol from distilled wine). Oloroso
is usually fortified to a level of 18% or more while the more
delicate Fino is topped off at about 15%. Not only does this help
to retain the crisper drier character of Fino (higher alcohol
tends to "sweeten" the character of a wine), but it
also encourages the formation of a yeasty film, called a flor.
Fino sherries are transferred to well used oak containers where
the flor is encouraged to coat the surface of the maturing (and
fermenting) wine. Many of the differences of the two basic styles,
Fino and Oloroso, are attributed to effects of the flor on Fino.
However, in most cases, the wines are different in character to
begin with and the differences in fortification and aging play
up the difference.
The
naming of sherry can be a bit confusing. Fanciful trademarks and
questions of degree cloud the issue. In short the following usually
holds true:
Fino
is lightest and driest. Although personal taste enters into
the matter, Fino is considered by most to be the finest grade.
Crisp and exciting when young, a great fino can age to a nutty
mellow finish while still showing proper acidity.
Amontillado
is middle ground, darker and mellower. The best Amontillado
is hardly sweet, with accents on the nutty flavor. The best age
well.
Oloroso
should be dark and rich, often a bit overbearing when young.
With age they take on a depth of character and smoothness.
Cream
sherry at its best is deep oloroso with a good dose of sweetening.
Though these wines grace many a social occasion they seldom have
the distinct individual character of the other designations.
Manzanilla
deserves special mention as the distinct, coastal variant
of fino. Great manzanilla is the prize of all sherry, with all
the attributes of fine wine and a hint of sea spray in the aroma.
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Originally published in "The Greenville Journal", April 27 - May
3, 2001 in "From The Vine" column, author, Richard deBondt.