In praise of sherry
Solear Manzanilla £5.89 Waitrose 50cl (15% abv)
Super-chilled Fino in Jerez I seem to be in the minority these days, and maybe it's a sign of middle age, but I'll say this loud and proud, "I LOVE SHERRY".
I'll admit that had you asked me 10 years ago, I would never have considered this even a remote possibility. Memories of my grandmother drinking Harvey's Bristol Cream at Christmas may have had something to do with it. What I am sure has more to do with it however, is the hideous contempt that British bars, pubs and restaurants seem to have for this delightful drink.
In Jerez, in the very south of Spain, you'll find people of all ages enjoying fresh and super-chilled Fino or Manzanilla but ask for even the most famous brand, such as Tio Pepe, in a bar in the UK and you'll find them dusting off a half open bottle, most likely sitting on a warm shelf, perhaps with the added element of a bright light shining directly onto it. This is NOT the way to enjoy sherry. Many people think that because sherry is a fortified wine that it will last forever. As if somehow the hard liquor with which they fortify it means it will never go off. (Even a single malt whisky ought to be drunk within a few months. Alcohol evaporates and flavours will diffuse.).
I'll admit that had you asked me 10 years ago, I would never have considered this even a remote possibility. Memories of my grandmother drinking Harvey's Bristol Cream at Christmas may have had something to do with it. What I am sure has more to do with it however, is the hideous contempt that British bars, pubs and restaurants seem to have for this delightful drink.
In Jerez, in the very south of Spain, you'll find people of all ages enjoying fresh and super-chilled Fino or Manzanilla but ask for even the most famous brand, such as Tio Pepe, in a bar in the UK and you'll find them dusting off a half open bottle, most likely sitting on a warm shelf, perhaps with the added element of a bright light shining directly onto it. This is NOT the way to enjoy sherry. Many people think that because sherry is a fortified wine that it will last forever. As if somehow the hard liquor with which they fortify it means it will never go off. (Even a single malt whisky ought to be drunk within a few months. Alcohol evaporates and flavours will diffuse.).
Sun sinking into a glass of Manzanilla in Jerez Would you keep Sauvignon Blanc open for more than a day or two?
All wines are not created equal, and not all are meant to improve with bottle age. The very specific type of cork you'll find in your bottle of sherry is a clue to the fact that it's meant to be enjoyed young and fresh. Although you can keep a bottle open in the fridge for up to a week, after that it will lose freshness and vibrancy. So that dusty bottle on your local bar's shelf? Avoid like the plague.
But DO go ahead and taste some sherry.
For the Wine of the Week this week, I selected Solear Manzanilla because it comes in an easy 50cl screw top format, and can easiliy be polished off as an aperitif for 4 (or 2 very thirsty drinkers) in one night, allowing you to enjoy it at its best. I hope that some of you purchased it at around £5.89 from Waitrose and gave it a go.
All wines are not created equal, and not all are meant to improve with bottle age. The very specific type of cork you'll find in your bottle of sherry is a clue to the fact that it's meant to be enjoyed young and fresh. Although you can keep a bottle open in the fridge for up to a week, after that it will lose freshness and vibrancy. So that dusty bottle on your local bar's shelf? Avoid like the plague.
But DO go ahead and taste some sherry.
For the Wine of the Week this week, I selected Solear Manzanilla because it comes in an easy 50cl screw top format, and can easiliy be polished off as an aperitif for 4 (or 2 very thirsty drinkers) in one night, allowing you to enjoy it at its best. I hope that some of you purchased it at around £5.89 from Waitrose and gave it a go.
So what's this Solear actually like?
Solear Manzanilla is a light and very dry sherry, as perfect as an aperitif as a Gin & Tonic will ever be and goes equally well with olives. Like all Manzanilla, it's made in Sanlucar de Barrameda, and this marks it out from other Finos (Manzanilla is basically a type of Fino) because it has sea breezes and the local Flor yeast which makes Manzanilla the most delicate of the sherries. Solear is no different. It's made to be drunk young and fresh, and provides flavours of biscuit, and nuts, probably most akin to a Marcona Almond, and is very delicate. This makes it an excellent "starter" sherry, at least for the dry end of the spectrum. Sherry comes in all shapes and sizes and if you enjoy a Manzanilla style, you can move on through Fino towards the other styles. But fear not, if you didn't enjoy it, because the range of sherry styles mean there's more than likely to be something for everyone.
Just be careful of ordering a Manzanilla in northern Spain where they're less likely to pour you a glass of sherry and more likely to serve you a herbal tea!
Just be careful of ordering a Manzanilla in northern Spain where they're less likely to pour you a glass of sherry and more likely to serve you a herbal tea!
Tell me more about sherry...
Tio Pepe (Fino), Alfonso Dry Oloroso, Croft Original Pale Cream Sherry, Solera 1847 Oloroso Dulce as sampled at the Bodega Tio Pepe in Jerez, September 2012 So what to expect from sherry? There are a number of styles from bone dry to lucsiously sweet. The sweetest, Pedro Ximenex is syrupy thick and sweet enough to pour on ice-cream. (PX is technically a very different drink made from different grapes to the Palomino which is used in other sherries)
My personal favourite is probably the Fino style. I'll drink it instead of a glass of champagne as an aperitif before a meal in a fancy restaurant (there's a chance they may be storing it correctly and turning enough over for it to be fresh). In common with champagne, it has very dry with biscuity flavours. Of course, it's not fizzy, but instead you'll find it at least half the price of the fizz, crisp and yeasty with a freshness that belies the fact it's a blend of wines from a solera system and a minimum of 3 years old. Manzanilla is an even more delicate version, while Amontillado and Oloroso are types of richer, darker sherry with more oxidative flavours of toffee and caramel, despite also being dry. Sweeter styles of these wines are also available, made by adding some PX. If you like tawny port, you'll probably like these.
And, you'll still find Croft Original and Harvey's Bristol Cream out there. If you like a sweet wine, then why not? These are Fino style sherries which have been sweetened with a kind of concentrated grape juice.
My personal favourite is probably the Fino style. I'll drink it instead of a glass of champagne as an aperitif before a meal in a fancy restaurant (there's a chance they may be storing it correctly and turning enough over for it to be fresh). In common with champagne, it has very dry with biscuity flavours. Of course, it's not fizzy, but instead you'll find it at least half the price of the fizz, crisp and yeasty with a freshness that belies the fact it's a blend of wines from a solera system and a minimum of 3 years old. Manzanilla is an even more delicate version, while Amontillado and Oloroso are types of richer, darker sherry with more oxidative flavours of toffee and caramel, despite also being dry. Sweeter styles of these wines are also available, made by adding some PX. If you like tawny port, you'll probably like these.
And, you'll still find Croft Original and Harvey's Bristol Cream out there. If you like a sweet wine, then why not? These are Fino style sherries which have been sweetened with a kind of concentrated grape juice.
One of the best ways to sample a full range of quality wines from sherry with minimal risk is via the innovative half litre bottles of own branded, Finest range sherries available from Tesco. A half bottle can easily be drunk within a couple of days as an aperitif each night, or shared among friends in an evening. What's more, these are bargain-tastic. In store, they're around £5 each and it appears the online store has a 31% reduction in place right now, so it's a great opportunity to try them if you don't want to shell out on a full bottle in the £10- £12 price range. It's a low risk way to explore something new. I won't go into all the details of how sherry is made, but if you're interested, you'll find a detailed explanation here and the town of Jerez is well worthy of a visit as a tourist, with plenty of sunshine, great food, and many bodegas open to the public. It's certainly the best way to try lots of different sherry types and brands as well as enjoying the Spanish tapas culture.
The Sandeman Bodega in Jerez: barrel showing "flor" yeast, Solera system of barrels, evolution of the word Sherry from the ancient Phoenicians till now Finally, if you need more convincing of Sherry's attractions, it's worth noting that it was one of the very original "branded" wines. Back at the end of the 18th Century when companies like Sandeman and Gonzales Byass set up, the aim was to provide consistent and recognisable wines, under brand names such as Tio Pepe, with Port and Sherry brands being some of the most enduring through the centuries. Think of it as drinking a history lesson.
So raise a copita, and drink to your expanding knowledge and tastes! Cheers!
So raise a copita, and drink to your expanding knowledge and tastes! Cheers!
Finally, as the hot weather looks set to continue, our Wine of the Week #16 will be Riesling. Choose your own bottle and tell me what you think. There are many styles available with the best arguably from Alsace and Germany.
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