Appreciating the 7 Varieties of Sherry Wines
In North America, there is a common misconception that sherry is always a very sweet wine. While there are sherry dessert wines, many varieties of sherry are quite dry, and there are many types of sherry that suit various palates.
Sherry is most commonly produced in Spain, but I happened to discover it by chance while visiting Boston with my wife. One night at dinner, we enjoyed wine from one of our favorite wine regions—Jura, France. Like sherry, wines in Jura are aged under a veil of yeast called Flor.
The waiter, surprised by our choice of a somewhat little-known style of wine with dinner, asked if we had ever tried Sherry given the similarities. We hadn’t tried it, so he recommended a nearly cocktail bar with a specialization in sherry.
The cocktail bar was closed for staff education when we arrived. However, after speaking with the staff and telling them our story, they invited us in for a complimentary private tasting.
This experience sparked a lifelong love of sherry. We would eventually come to appreciate it on an even deeper level when we visited the heart of sherry production—Spain’s Sherry Triangle.
The Sherry Triangle
Sherry was born in a town called Jerez de la Frontera in Spain’s Andalusia región and forms one of three points in the Sherry Triangle. The other two “points” are the cities of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María.
This region was granted a Denominación de Origen (Designation of Origin) for sherry in 1933. All Spanish DOCa sherries must use grapes grown in this region. Approved areas include the previously mentioned three cities as well as a variety of others within the triangle, including Chiclana, Chipiona, Lebrija, Puerto Real, Rota, and Trebujena.
My wife and I once spent two weeks traveling throughout the Sherry Triangle and would highly recommend this experience to any wine lover. You can visit dozens of classic wine cellars, or bodegas, which have been nicknamed “wine cathedrals” for their spectacular architecture and interiors.
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez is the Sherry Triangle’s capital and is home to the largest number of historic cellars. This Andalusian city also has plenty of culture outside of its sherry tradition. Visitors may be interested in the traditional Flamenco music and dancing, as well as weekly Andalusian Horse Show performances.
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María lies on the Costa de la Luz—one of the most beautiful stretches of beaches in Spain. When you’re not sampling sherry at local bodegas, you can take in stunning historic sites like the Castle of San Marcos and Iglesia Mayor Prioral. Naturally, you’ll want to spend plenty of time soaking in the sun on the beaches of the Bay of Cadiz.
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
The last point in the Sherry Triangle, Sanlúcar de Barrameda lies just a few miles North west of Jerez, facing the Coto Doñana reserve. The town is famous for its Manzanilla sherry, which is characterized by a mildly salty taste caused by its aging process and the seaside location where is produced.
You’ll have no shortage of delicious food to pair with your sherry; Sanlúcar's culinary scene has a reputation for being one of the best in southern Spain. Naturally, its coastal location makes fresh seafood both high-quality and bountiful, and the city is famous for its fresh prawns. Like many other Andalusian cities, flamenco music and dancing are extremely popular in Sanlúcar. The city is also well-known for its annual beach horse racing events.
How Is Sherry Produced?
Although there are many types of sherry, most varieties are produced from the Palomino grapes. Sweet dessert sherries are made from either Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes, and these sweet wines are sometimes blended with Palomino sherries.
The process begins with the fermentation of the grapes. Following fermentation, the wines are fortified with a grape spirit, which increases their alcohol content. The sherry is left to age in a barrel, where they develop a yeast-like growth called flor that protects the wine from too much oxidation.
Main Varieties of Sherry
There are seven main types of sherry:
1. Amontillado
This variety is exposed to the air after being aged under flor. Inherently dry, it is sometimes sweetened although in that case it no longer be labeled an Amontillado. Amontillado is darker than Fino but lighter than Oloroso.
2. Fino
Fino is the driest and palest variety of traditional sherry. It is aged in barrels under a layer of flor yeast that forms a barrier between the sherry and the air.
3. Jerez Dulce
This title applies to a variety of sweet sherries. They are made either by fermenting Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes after they have been dried, or by mixing sweeter wines or even grape must together with a drier sherry.
4. Manzanilla
Sanlúcar de Barrameda is famous for producing this light variety of Fino sherry.
5. Manzanilla Pasada
This variety of Manzanilla goes through a longer aging process and is partially oxidized, which gives it rich, nutty flavors.
6. Oloroso
Oloroso means “scented” in Spanish. This sherry variety is aged oxidatively for longer periods than Fino and Amontillado, which makes it darker and richer. Olorosos are the most alcoholic sherries, with alcohol levels between 18 and 20 percent.
7. Palo Cortado
Processed similarly to Amontillado, Palo Cortado has similar qualities as Oloroso. Palo Cortado is often created as a byproduct if the flor dies, but it can be produced intentionally by killing the flor through fortification or filtration.