Andalucía

The name for this classic Spanish wine, perhaps the most famous dessert wine in the world, was derived from the city of Jerez de la Frontera in the province of Cádiz in Andalusia, a city that has been a centre of the wine, liqueur and brandy trade since medieval times. Spain fell under Arab rule in 711 AD, but in spite of the Muslim ban on wine, production of wine and spirits continued. In 966, Calif Alhaken II. decided vines should be uprooted, but the local population argued successfully that some of the grapes were processed to raisins, which were an important part of the Muslim diet when they embarked on one of their frequent military campaigns. As a result, only a third of the vines were destroyed. Spanish producers were exporting wine to England as early as the 12th century, trading it for English wool in return. It was at this time that the wine was first given its name, derived from the Arab name for the city, „Sherish“ or „Xeris“. At that time it was considered to be one of the best wines in the world. The conquest by the Castilian king Alfons X. (1221–1284) in 1264 brought Jerez back under Christian rule. Legend has it that the Christians even gave some of the wine to their horses before a battle in order to rouse the animals. The city fathers of Jerez enacted the first regulations for the production of sherry in 1483, this contained detailed instructions for the grape harvest, the consistency of the leather wine gourds, maturation as well as trade practises.

Sherry was an excellent choice for long sea journeys, based on its longevity. The Portuguese seafarer Ferñao de Magellan (1480-1521), for instance, before he embarked on his journey around the world in 1519, purchased 417 leather gourds and 253 small barrels of sherry. In 1587, the English buccaneer Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) attacked the city of Cádiz in Spain, robbing 2.900 barrels of sherry, which resulted in Londoners becoming acquainted with the drink. It quickly became tremendously popular, and became the fashionable drink in England. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an enthusiastic fan of sherry, he imbibed in a considerable quantity each day at his regular pub, the „Bear Head Tavern“. This wine was mentioned repeatedly by name in scenes of his plays (Richard III., Henry III., The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV.). In this way, Shakespeare – and sherry – were also partly involved in determining the name of the German sparkling wine Sekt (from sack) – see there. Spanish companies established houses in Jerez in the 19th century, some of the names are still in existence today. Wines using the name of sherry were produced all over the world for a long time, the EU only enacted protection for the sherry designation as a brand in 1996.

The total vineyard area in the DO region Jerez, or as it is officially known „Jerez/Xérèz/Sherry y Manzanilla de Sanlúcar Barrameda“ is around 10.500 hectares. Most of the vineyards are located close to the Atlantic ocean. In the past, vines were planted on all types of soils, but today vines are cultivated almost exclusively on the bright white chalky soil known as albariza (lat. alba = white). This soil is the first secret of the success of sherry, apart from the climate, the grape varieties and the long experience the winemakers have. The vines are planted in rows (liños) in a north-south direction. This provides maximum exposure to the sun all day long, The most important grape variety is the Palomino (Listán), the sherry variety par excellence, accounting for around 90% of the vineyard area. It contributes to the special character of sherry. In addition, small amounts of Muscat d´Alexandrie (particularly in the area around Chipiona) and Pedro Ximénez are cultivated, these are used mainly to sweeten some of the special variants of sherry.

Both the sugar content and the acidity are decisive with regard to the start of the harvest. Grapes are picked by hand, the grapes are collected into baskets („arrobas“ holding 11,5 kg each), to ensure the grapes are not damaged before pressing. 62 of these baskets total one carretada, the required amount of grapes used to produce 500 litres of must. The Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes destined for the production of sweet wines are spread out in the sunshine on mats of esparto grass during the days in order to concentrate the sugar content, this also further reduces the already low acidity, the grapes are covered at night to ensure they are not harmed by the cool, humid air at night. This exposure to the sun lasts for at least 48 hours. In a traditional style, some yeso (gypsum) is added to the grapes before pressing. It is usual to decide already at the time of pressing which type of sherry is to be produced from the grapes on hand. Today, fermentation usually takes place in stainless steel tanks with a volume of up to 40.000 litres at temperatures of between 22 and 24 °C. Some bodegas also ferment wine in new oak barrels (botas or barricas).

When fermentation is complete, a decision is taken as to which wine is best suited for which style of sherry. Each individual barrel is checked and classified by the cellar master or capataz. The barrels are marked in four categories, depending on their value, using oblique chalk lines (raya = line or strip, or also palo = stick, see also below under palo cortado). This coding can vary somewhat from one bodega to the next. A single line (una raya) is used for top-quality elegant wines which one expects will provide a good foundation for the development of flor, leading to finos, manzanillas and eventually amontillados. Two lines (dos rayas) are used to designate full-bodied wines which one does not expect to develop flor, and which are therefore destined to become olorosos. Three lines (tres rayas) are used for all wines in which one is uncertain of their future development, they will therefore be classified again a few weeks later. Lesser wines with a tart, rough taste will be marked with four lines (cuatro rayas), these are destined for distillation or for the production of vinegar. The wines of the first three groups will now be left to their own devices. A second assessment will be made after a period of a minimum of nine months has elapsed, that is when the sherry types are finally determined (there may still eb changes in individual cases).

The wines of the first group are fortified to an alcohol content of around 15% vol (this is known as encabezado), and start off their maturation process in oak barrels with a content of around 600 litres. The barrels are fileld around five-sixths full, leaving an ullage of around two hands at the top, allowing enough air in for the development of the all-important layer of flor yeast. In fino and manzanilla variants, the spontaneous development of yeast on the surface of the wine prevents oxidation. This layer insulates the wine from the air, adds typical flavour components and also removes some of the alcohol. The storage in ground-floor warehouses is characteristic of the maturation process, as the constant draught of air through the doors and windows of these warehouses actually makes this development possible. For this reason, modern warehouses have air-conditioning. The size and volume of the barrel is important for the layer of flor yeast. Moisture evaporates through the walls of the barrel, and the yeast removes alcohol from the wine. However, the volume of the barrels and the surface area of the wine in the barrels ensures the alcohol content remains constant at all times. If one were to use smaller or larger barrels, this balance would be disturbed, and the flor yeast, which only develops at a level of 14.5 to 16% alcohol, would die. The second group of wines is fortified to a level of up to 17.5% vol, this prevents the formation of the flor layer. When the wine is filled into barrels it begins the oxidative maturation process from which it will emerge as an oloros.

The technique of maturing and blending sherry is mostly referred to as the „solera“ or the „criadera-solera“ method. Strictly speaking, the word solera refers to the bottom row of barrels (suelo = floor) containing the oldest wines. It is this method that makes sherry such a special product. Traditionally, sherry matures in the layers of barrels stacked on top of each other (escalas), with all the barrels containing the same type of wine, but of different ages and stages of maturation. The oldest wine is stored in the bottom row of barrels, the top row contains the youngest wine. Wine for bottling is drawn from the bottom layer of barrels as required, usually up to one-third of the contents. The amount withdrawn is replenished from the next higher layer of barrels, the so-called criadera (literally nursery), which in turn is refilled from the next higher layer (second criadera), until finally young wine is filled into the top layer. This means that the characteristics of the older wines are transferred to the younger wines, ensuring that style and quality remain virtually constant over time. Most sherries undergo six or seven steps, with up to 14 solera steps in extreme cases. Today, the barrels of different stages are no longer necessarily stored on top of each other, they may be stored in different groups, sometimes even in different bodegas.

The soleras of high-quality sherries are filled only with wines of the best quality and best vintages, which means that in poor years no sherry from the bottom layer of barrels can be bottled, as it is not possible to top up the barrels in the top layer with fresh wine. Generally, the minimum maturation period for sherry is three years, an amontillado that is younger than seven years is virtually impossible, and top brands will mature for 15 years and more. When the finos slowly start to lose their layer of flor yeast, an additional maturation process may follow the initial biological process. The wine will first be converted to a fino-amontillado and then to an amontillado. In the case of a manzanilla, this development starts with the manzanilla pasada, which then also develops into an amontillado. There is a wide range of sherry styles, from light to dark and from dry to sweet. With regard to colour, the rule is that the lighter, the drier, the darker the sweeter. However, sherry is always a white wine, there is no tinto (red) variant, although the colour can sometimes be extremely dark. One distinguishes basically between three major types of sherry. The first group is that of fino and manzanilla sherries, which develop under a layer of flor, and are not influenced by oxygen, this includes the amontillados, which mature in an oxidative environment, the second group is the olorosos, which mature under oxidative contidions, while the third group is the palo cortado, which in terms of taste lies between the two categories of amontillado and oloroso.

Fino: This is the classical bone-dry sherry with a pale gold colour and the typical aroma of almonds, compared to the other variants it can be drunk at a relatively early stage. It is called manzanilla in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (see below). The grapes are mainly sourced from sooler growing areas located at lower altitudes. It matures under a thick layer of flor yeast, with no oxidative influences. The alcohol content varies from 15 to 18% vol. A fino is the basis, or the precursor stage for amontillado and palo cortado sherries. As described above, a wine initially intended to become a fino can still become an oloroso over a period of years, if the flor layer dies off of its own accord, and if the wine has a fragrant (oloroso) character.

Amontillado: This is the most full-bodied fino variant, and the one with the most intense taste, it initially develops under a layer of flor, and is a fino wine at this stage. By either fortifying it to a level higher than 16% vol of alcohol, or by blending it with an old fino, the flor yeast dies, and the wine undergoes an oxidative phase. If it is matured for 12 to 15 years, it is known as a Fino-Amontillado, if it is matured for more than 15 years it is known as an Amontillado. Depending on the age, the colour develops from dark gold via light brown to a blackish brown. The delicate, piquant aroma is reminiscent of hazelnuts. A true amontillado is totally dry. However, products of lesser quality are also available in a semi-sweet style, blended from Rayas and sweet wines. The alcohol content varies from 16 to 22% vol. Originally, all sherries produced in the style of a Montilla-Moriles (Montilla) wine were described as amontillado, the name translates as „similar to Montilla”.

Manzanilla: This is a pale yellow variant of fino, matured under flor, and sourced exclusively from the Sanlúcar de Barrameda region. The predominant strong Atlantic winds in this region give the wine a typical, slightly salty and delicately bitter taste. The humid and relatively cool air in summer ensures that the yeasts can survive all year round, and there is much less danger here of the flor layer dying off than there is in Jerez itself. It is initially known as Manzanilla-Fina and with additional maturation as Manzanilla-Pasada. The alcohol content varies from 15 to 19% vol. The name is derived from „manzana“ (apple), referring to the fresh, crisp taste. A different source claims the origin is „manzanilla“ (camomile), as the wine has the typical smell of this flower.

Oloroso: This is one of the main variants, produced under oxidative conditions without a layer of flor. Oloroso is darker and more full-bodied than a fino or amontillado, with a more powerful aroma. The wine is dry and varies in colour from amber to mahogony, it has a pronounced fragrant, nutty aroma (oloroso = fragrant). It is one of the most long-lived wines, and can be matured for 50 to 100 years. The alcohol content varies from 17 to 22% vol.

Palo Cortado: This is a rare variant which cannot be produced on demand, only about one barrel in a thousand turns into a palo cortado under special, uncontrollable conditions, at least that is the official story. However, considering the amounts offered on the market each year, which many producers appear to have available regularly, one may be forgiven for having some doubts. Palo means „stick“ or „broad line“. The barrels are marked in accordance with their quality using broad lines (rayas or palos, see above). A palo cortado develops from a quality initially intended to become an amontillado. If the flor yeast in the barrel dies suddenly, and the wine has premature intensive oxygen contact, the lack of flor means the wine can no longer develop to become an amontillado. On the other hand, it is also no longer possible to make a pure oloroso from this barrel, since it began life as an amontillado. So, at this stage the cellar master will check on the wine, and will decide whether the wine is suitable to become a palo cortado. The „palos“ (lines) are crossed, or in a sense „cut off“. This results in the term palo cortado – a stick that has been cut off. It now udnergoes an extended oxidative process. The wine is usually dry, it has the hazelnut aroma of an amontillado combined with the taste and body of an oloroso. The alcohol content varies from 18 to 20% vol. There are also some sweet variants of palo cortado available.

In addition, there are numerous sub-variants, made according to various methods and recipes, depending on the producer. Some of these are:

Cream: this was created specifically for the northern European taste, it is not very popular in Spain itself. This style is dark and sweet, and matures without a layer of flor in an oxidative environment. It is a blend of Oloroso with sweet wine (Dulce) from Pedro Ximénez, or increasingly from Moscatel grapes. For basic Creams, must or a sugary solution is used, for better wines Arrope (concentrated grape must) from Pedro Ximénez grapes is used, and the best Creams (known then as Amoroso) are Pedro Ximénez sherries that have undergone extended solera maturation. The alcohol content varies from 15,5 to 22% vol.

Golden: Very similar to a Cream, mild and slightly sweet type of sherry. The alcohol content is around 15% vol.

Medium Dry: An off-dry, mahogony-coloured wine with a spicy aroma. This is an Amontillado blend made with young and sweet wines. The alcohol content varies from 15 to 22% vol.

Pale Cream: A sweet Fino variant characterised by a pale colour and a piquant aroma. The alcohol content varies from 15,5 to 22% vol.

Pedro Ximénez = PX: Sweet version produced from the grape variety of the same name, the „Trockenbeerenauslese“ among the sherries. The grapes are dried in the sun. An old and well-made PX sherry is almost syrupy, the colour is brown-black with aromas of dried prunes and raisins. The alcohol content varies from 15 to 22% vol.

Particularly old sherries will have a maturation or age certificate on the back label (see under VORS = 30 years and VOS = 20 years old). In Spain, sherry is drunk from special glasses. The tulip-shaped Catavino becomes narrower towards the rim, thus concentrating the bouquet. It is traditional to draw the sherry from the barrel using the Venencia (silver goblet on a long stick), and then poured expertly into the glass from a great height. The fino variants as well as manzanilla should be drunk well chilled, other sherries lightly chilled. Sherry bottlers should be stored upright (no contact of wine with the cork) in a dark, dry place. Opened bottles must be recorked.

Well-known sherry producers and merchant houses include the following: Tomás Abad, Herederos de Argueso, Antonio Barbadillo, Agustin Blázquez, Bobadilla, Bodegas Internacionales, González Byass, José Estevez, Luis Caballero, Croft, Pedro Domecq, Jesús Ferris, Garvey, Hidalgo La Gitana, La Guita, Harvey´s, Emilio Hidalgo, M. Gil Luque, Lustau, Marqués del Real Tesoro, Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín, José Medina, Los Infantes de Orleans-Borbón, Osborne, Paternina, César Florido Romero, Pedro Romero, Sánchez Romate, Sandeman, Terry, Valdespino, Williams & Humbert, Delgado Zuleta and Don Zoilo. Most producers also produce a Brandy de Jerez. Small, privately-owned sherry houses are designated with the legally protected name Almacenista.