Barrels of Sherry
Over the last nineteen years few restaurants in the UK, or even Spain, have done so much to document how misunderstood Sherry is. It is time, therefore, to move on & take a deeper dive in acknowledgement that our customers now know that Sherry describes one of the world's most versatile wine families from pale, bracingly dry Fino & Manzanilla to ultra sweet & complex Pedro Ximonez with all the styles in between. So let's look at the facts that will make you an expert overnight, even if you may never get to use any of them in a pub quiz!
Authentic Sherry comes from Andalusia's Marco de Jerez, centred on Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Its history reaches back more than 3,000 years but in 1933, Jerez-Xeres-Sherry became Spain's first legally constituted denomination of origin (DO).
Most dry Sherry begins with Palomino grapes grown in brilliant white albariza soil. This chalk-rich earth stores winter rain and helps vines endure fierce summers. Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel provide the region's naturally sweet wines.
Our Sherry guide
The real magic happens in the bodega. Some Sherrywines mature beneath flor, a protective veil of yeast that excludes oxygen and produces distinctive notes of bread dough, almond and sea air. Others age in contact with oxygen, acquiring deeper colours and flavours of walnut, spice and dried fruit. Many pass through the solera y criaderas: a system in which younger wines are gradually blended with older ones, preserving a house style.
The vocabulary of Sherry runs rich & deep but two other essential terms to look out for are:
En Rama
Bringing En Rama Sherry to the market in May each year is one of the most exciting times of the year for us at Ambiente. En Rama translates as ‘on the vine’ or figuratively speaking, raw. It is bottled with minimal filtration or clarification, taken directly from single casks while preserving the delicate flor.
VOS & VORS
VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum) denotes exceptionally old wines averaging at least 20 years of age, while VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum) is reserved for those averaging at least 30 years. Awarded following rigorous tasting and assessment, these prestigious designations celebrate the extraordinary complexity, concentration and depth that decades of ageing can bring to Sherry.
Sherry’s Challenges
So why is Sherry a bit niche? I have already said I want us to move on because we all know how truly great Sherry is but please help us spread the word. Let’s Make Sherry Great Again between us! Just consider the following when you make your next wine choice whether it be in a restaurant, dinner at home or for a gift.
One problem is generational. Traditional sweet styles remain associated with older drinkers, Christmas and the drinks cabinet rather than bars, restaurants and meals. As that audience diminishes, younger consumers do not automatically replace it.
The response is not to disguise Sherry but to make it the hero. Chilled Finos and Manzanillas are food-friendly white wines that can accompany an entire meal or any of the ten styles can be paired very proficiently with different dishes.
In bars the different iterations of Sherry offer an exciting palette for the barbender to work with. Rebujito, Sherry spritzes and cocktails using Amontillado or Oloroso introducing their savoury complexity are familiar formats.
The category's complexity is another obstacle. Flor, oxidative ageing, soleras and numerous style names fascinate enthusiasts but can intimidate newcomers. Others may not realise that most Sherry is dry, mistake all of it for Cream, or simply not know when and how to serve it. I hope that with my simple guide above can help demystify this.
Sherry requires prolonged ageing and ties up stock, but supermarket discounting has historically taught shoppers to expect it cheaply. At the same time, consumers are drinking less wine overall, living costs are squeezing us all and UK alcohol-duty changes have raised the price of fortified wines.
Climate is the deeper threat. Research suggests average temperatures around Jerez could rise by approximately 2.3C by 2050, with much larger increases during exceptionally hot summers. Heat and drought affect yields, grape balance and the sensitive flor yeasts essential to Fino and Manzanilla. Some historic bodegas may struggle to maintain suitable internal conditions without adaptation. The natural airconditioning provided by the high ceilings & orientation of the cathedral like bodegas may no longer be sufficient.
The team on our recent trip to Spain
Also interestingly demand for sherry-seasoned barrels are now outstripping demand for the sherry they were originally made to mature. Whisky producers prize these casks for the rich colour and complex flavours they impart. As a result, barrels are increasingly valued less for their traditional role in sherry production and more as sought-after tools for ageing whisky, creating pressure on the supply of casks and changing the economics of the sherry industry.
My main passion will alway be drinking Sherry but I can’t help being fascinated by the viniculture, the viticulture and the commerce & economics that are part of its story. I have only scratched the surface here but I hope that I have provided plenty of Sherry facts for thought.
We will Make Sherry Great Again, glass by glass!
Zoe
Ready to try some Sherry?
Come and try it! This November, we’re celebrating Sherry month at Ambiente!
Our Sherry specials for the month of November.
Throughout the month, our restaurants will be serving our Sherry Drink Menu, featuring a huge range of Sherry wines and a selection of new Sherry cocktails – plus nine Sherry wine flights so you can taste your way through the varying styles of Sherry.
Pair our drinks with our November Sherry-inspired food special:
🐄 Buñuelo de Carrillera de Ternera
Beef cheek fritter with mushroom served on a rich, smokey idiazabal cheese rice
🍄🟫 Buñuelo de Champiñones
Mushroom Fritter served on a rich mushroom & idiazabel cheese rice
So, which Sherry will you choose?
Our special Sherry menu is available throughout November, so book your table today!