Crash Course: Sherry- Not Just For Your Grandma Recap

It finally happened– the much hyped, inevitable, AWESOME Sherry Crash Course. Downtown’s resident sherry enthusiast and wine buyer, Jeff Golden, hosted the evening, with assistance from Tyler Balliet. Sherry is one of those wines that not too many people even know is wine. Sherry’s strong presence in cooking and the made famous sweet cream sherry give the stuff a bad rap, and we tasted through a large array of sherry to really understand what is it, where it comes from, and what it tastes like!

Sherry comes from Spain, where winemaking goes back to essentially the beginning of time. Starting in the 14th century, the Spanish began to export their wine, and preservation became the key. Thus, sherry was born. To be legally deemed sherrry, production must come from the Cadiz province of Spain, and most of it from Jerez. There is a rough series of sherries, ranging from light (Fino) to heavier (Oloroso), made primarily from Palomino or Pedro Ximenez grapes. Sherry is meant to be drank with food– it screams for pairing. We tasted these sherries with Manchengo (for the Finos and Amontillados), and Roquefort (for the Olorosos and Alvear Solera) cheeses, marcona almonds, green olives and salty spanish ham. Jeff explained that one reason why sherry is so misunderstood in this country is because sherry “goes against everything Americans do with drinking”, since it should never be far from food.

Sherry production begins the same as any other wine; grapes are grown and picked from vineyards, crushed and transferred to barrels. It’s in the barrel that the wine goes from regular table wine to sherry. The wine develops yeast on top of it that matures it and leads to fortification. A standard California wine will take about 3-4 days to fortify, sherry takes that many weeks, thus the higher concentration of alcohol. Sherry is then moved through barrels that lead to levels of classification. No sherries have vintages, as its a three year process to make sherry. The wine is moved from barrel to barrel, each time a little left behind, and added to the next, to make the wine come together.

	Lustau Light Fino Jarana – $21.99
	This food-friendly sherry is light and has a very nutty flavor. Made from palomino grapes, this Fino was a great introduction to how sherry is made. Sherry is a fortified wine, aged in barrels under a layer of yeast called flor. The flor keeps the sherry from getting too sweet, because once the yeast is killed off, the wine will begin to sweeten, as Tyler likes to say, “Yeast eats sugar and poops alcohol”.
	Alvear’s Fino Montilla – $16.99
	This is a “lighter morning sherry”, and a prime example of Pedro Ximenez not being sweet, as can typically be seen in sherries. Palomino grapes have a harder time growing in Alvear’s region, and thus the use of PX in sherry. Sherries used to be made from many other varietals, but as is the same with many wine issues from the turn of the century, the phylloxera destroyed essentially all other sherry-making grapes.
	Manzanilla La Guita – $11.99
	Still a fino, the Manzanilla is a bit darker in the glass than the previous two. It’s also a touch nuttier, tasting wonderfully with the manchengo cheese, marcona almonds and salty ham we had out to taste with. It’s also a bit more round than the previous finos, which can be more sharp due to the higher alcohol. It’s with this wine we learned about oxidation, and the name of the game with sherry is just that. A sherry’s development and character are all determined by how much the oxygen gets to hang out with the wine. It’s due to the flor that this wine has such a rich caramelized flavor.
	Lustau Dry Amontillado Los Arcos – $18.99
	This dry, classically styled Amontillado is noticeably darker than the previous sherries. It’s a prime example, Jeff informed us, of what you can do with Palomino. About 40 percent of the way through the aging process, the flor dies and the wine begins to develop the richness oxidation provides. Drink this sherry with salty ham or olives– it’s not meant to pair with anything sweet!
	Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado – $29.99
	Named for the Spanish King Carlos VII, this is the best Amontillado Alvear makes. The entire category was named for this sherry. Like all the Alvear sherries we tasted, this sherry is made from PX, and remains dry– similar to German wine. Amontillados tend to smell sweeter than they taste, the reason being you’re experiencing different parts of the aging process. We found this Amontillado to be more acidic than the previous, with earthy undertones.
	Lustau Dry Oloroso Don Nuno – $28.99
	The next category of sherry we dove into was Oloroso. Early on in the process, the very best fruit & wine go to Fino production, where there is nowhere for the flavors to hide. Fino is so straightforward and light that there must be youthful fruit for it to be compelling. That being said, Oloroso doesn’t start out as anything too special, but through the aging process it comes into its own. This sherry should be drank alongside grilled meat, or sharp cheeses such as bleu or chevre. Its dry makeup makes it a good “morning sherry” that “proper Spanish gentlemen would have a glass of before going to review the fields”.
	Alvear Solera 1927 PX – $27.99
	For our Grand Finale- The Pancake Sherry. Well, according to Tyler. But in all seriousness, this sherry was the group favorite, and is amazing. Solera style sherry making means that this particular sherry started its aging cycle in 1927. This is the oldest form of wine production in the Cadiz region. This wine is 100% PX and begins to be fortified much earlier than Fino or Amontillado to preserve some of the residual sugar. The result is a sweet, syrupy sherry that is quite tasty on its own, or would taste wonderful atop ice cream, or in Tyler’s case, pancakes. The wine holds flavors of sweet, caramelized honey, brined olives, and raisins. For the price point, Jeff explained, you will not find a wine so complex as this one. With sherry, the winemaking process embraces what oxygen does to white wine, and the result is delicious.

All sherries are available at Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square.

Tagged as: crash course, downtown wine & spirits, Sherry, Spain