Sherry traditionally accompany tapas, savory Spanish snacks.
The varieties of sherry, a fortified wine from Spain's Andalucia region, span such diverse styles that many wine lovers will likely find one to suit their preferences. Despite the best efforts of sherry producers to raise the profile of this food-friendly beverage internationally, sherry remains relatively undiscovered outside of Spain, making it a good buy for the value-conscious.
The Influence of Flor
Most sherry comes from a single grape varietal, palomino. How a sherry house treats the wine from this grape determines whether the resulting sherry will fall into one of two broad categories: fino or oloroso. Early in the sherry-making process, vintners judge the character of a wine and its capacity to develop flor, a yeast native to Andalucia. High-quality wines that show an affinity for flor are fino candidates; they receive light fortification so as not to kill this yeast. To wines that prove poor environments for flor, sherry-makers add a higher percentage of grape spirit to prevent any flor growth whatsoever -- these eventually become olorosos.
Fino
While a fino ages in wooden barrels, flor forms a scummy film that not only protects the wine from oxidation, but also influences the flavors evolving in the wine. The result -- a dry, pale, fine sherry, hinting at almonds and lemons on the palate. Puerto fino and manzanilla, fino-style sherries made exclusively in the coastal cities El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barremeda, respectively, have an even more-delicate character and a salty flavor. These sherries make good aperitifs and pair well with spicy, garlicky dishes, maintains wine writer John Radford. Treat a fino the same as white wine: Chill it before serving and finish it in a day or two after opening.
Oloroso
Oloroso sherries get years more aging than finos, in underfilled barrels that expose the wine to air. The ensuing oxidation gives rise to the deep brown coloring and rich flavors associated with this variety of sherry. Top-quality olorosos are dry and complex. They taste of molasses, roasted nuts and spices -- flavors that can stand up to hearty meat and game dishes. Chilling kills the nuances of good oloroso sherry, so serve these wines just a touch cooler than room temperature. Unlike a fino, which deteriorates quickly upon opening, a bottle of oloroso can last a few months before fading in quality.
Amontillado and Palo Cortado
Two additional styles of sherry start out as finos. If the flor on a fino fails to develop properly, the sherry-maker may continue to age the wine until it turns into an amontillado, which exhibits characteristics between a fino and an oloroso -- amber coloring with a nutty taste suitable for serving with white meat dishes. Sheer luck plays a role in producing palo cortados, making them rarities. Certain amontillados, without the help of the vintner, mysteriously transform into sherries more closely resembling olorosos in depth of color and flavor, the exact characteristics varying from wine to wine. Serve and store both types of sherry the same as you would an oloroso.
Sweet Sherries
Often blamed for the little love sherry gets outside of Spain, sweet sherries don't always deserve their poor reputation. The cream varieties dominate this category, concocted from lesser-quality dry sherries blended with wine from the Pedro Ximenez grape for sweetness. Ranging from pale yellow to deep brown, light to full-bodied, these long-lasting wines run the gamut from plonk to what wine educator Karen MacNeil describes as "elegant, almost racy wines redolent of chocolate, licorice, figs and roast nuts." The Pedro Ximenez grape also figures in a rare sherry that sports the same name. Writer John Radford recommends enjoying this black, ultra-rich, syrupy wine as dessert in a glass.
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