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In the most-under-appreciated wine category, you will find riesling, port, chenin blanc, and a host of other lesser-known varietals that deserve more attention than the wine world affords them.
Sitting comfortably at the top of that list is sherry, Spain’s famous fortified wine that is created using a solera system, a method of fractional blending that sees very old wines blended with newer vintages. When the older wines are ready to be bottled, a portion is taken out and topped up with the next in line, sort of a domino process. As it falls to the youngest wine, it, in turn, is topped up with wines from the current harvest.
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For this to happen effectively, the winery typically sits on a considerable investment in inventory and barrels (fortunately the whisky world will happily purchase the used barrels as it’s a major component of many Scotch whiskies). Then there is the contribution of the flor, a blanket of yeast that develops on top of the resting wine (in the barrel). It contributes flavour, especially in the manzanilla and fino styles, while protecting the wine under the surface from oxidization. While the inclusion of flor is typically associated with sherry, it can be found elsewhere; many of the wines from France’s Jura region also include a flor component and, to the uninitiated, it can be an acquired taste. Like port, sherry is also fortified using a grape distillate, bringing up the alcohol level, in turn halting the fermentation process.
Like so many before me, I first fell for sherry in Spain’s tapas bars (there’s a song in there somewhere). I had tried the wine many times before but its true charms were revealed when paired with a delicious array of salty snacks and fishy bits. Marcona almonds, olives, sardines, white anchovies, pan con tomate (grilled bread rubbed with garlic and a cut tomato then drizzled with olive oil), dry cured chorizo, jamon, well, you get the delicious picture.
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It’s a brilliant way to eat; you meander from bar to bar – each with its own specialties – tip a glass of sherry and marvel at the perfect simplicity of it all. By the end of the typically very late evening, you feel sated and a little buzzed; it’s a fortified wine after all. At this stage of the evening, the younger crowd heads out to the dance clubs, often until the sun is almost up. It strikes me as very civilized and during my many tapas bar expeditions, in the name of research, of course, I’ve noticed one rarely encounters the sort of drunken buffoonery we’ve all witnessed in North American bars, a nod to the notion of moderation and enjoying wine with food.
Despite the appreciation wine geeks like me hold for sherry, as a category, it’s in trouble. Since the 1980s, sales have tumbled globally. At one time, vineyards covered 28,000 hectares but that total has fallen to approximately 6,000 hectares. Even the Spaniards are drinking less of it and that’s cause for concern.
A recent article in the Wine Enthusiast reported that change is afoot in the region and many producers feel it’s long overdue. Perhaps the most significant change is that the wine is no longer required to be fortified. As such it can be produced as it always has but with an alcohol level akin to traditional wine, which means you can enjoy a few glasses throughout an evening without repercussions the following day. In light of the assault on alcohol consumption these days, that can only be a good thing insofar as sales are concerned. The regulatory board has also allowed for the inclusion of six additional grape varieties (palomino is the backbone grape of sherry), and there is a renewed focus on terroir and artisanal producers.
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Jerez de la Frontera is the epicentre for sherry production, and the name “Jerez” literally translates to sherry. It’s located 20 kilometres from the Atlantic and you can taste that element in the wines, especially with the delicate finos and manzanillas. The term salinity gets bandied about as a wine descriptor now, interestingly a term you rarely heard five years ago. I’m fairly certain wineries are not adding any salt but in the wines of Jerez, the ocean buffets the vineyards with its briny mist, and you can genuinely taste it in the wines, it’s not just fashion lingo. It’s one of the reasons a lightly chilled glass of fino goes so well with salty snacks and seafood – sushi included – making it a worthy consideration as a sake (another under-appreciated beverage) alternative.
Sherry comes in several iterations, from the bone-dry finos and manzanillas to the sweet Pedro Ximenez. The website Sherry Notes breaks down the styles with food as such: If it swims: fino and manzanilla, if it flies: amontillado and palo cortado, and if it runs, oloroso. There’s lots of great info on this site, from detailed styles to a comprehensive list of producers. Some of my favourites include Lustau, Alvear (situated in the neighbouring Montilla-Moriles region, great value wines), El Maestro di Sierra, Emilio Hildago, Toro Albala, Valdespino and Fernando de Castilla.
MetroVino, a well-known Calgary wine shop, specializes in sherry and is one of the few shops to offer sherry tastings, a great way to discover the various styles. Cheers!
Geoff Last is a longtime Calgary wine merchant writer, instructor, and broadcaster. He can be heard every Friday on CJSW’s Road Pops program between 4 -6 p.m. He was awarded a fellowship at Napa Valley’s Symposium of Professional Wine Writers for articles that have appeared in this column. Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected]
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