One of my mother’s morning rituals was her daily glass of dry Sherry. When the gardener was safely engaged with the vegetables outside and the maid had been dispatched to some local shop, my mother would head for the lounge to have her daily glass. In those far-off days domestic fridges were rare indeed and our elegant Sherry decanter stood majestically on a wooden cabinet in the lounge. But it wasn’t any old Sherry you understand, it had to be a dry Fino. And a good one too.
It always strikes me as sad that one of the world’s finest white wines, with a history of centuries, has become so hopelessly out-of-fashion outside Spain. In Britain, it has been a popular wine since Shakespeare’s time when it was often known as “Sack”. Throughout most of the twentieth century it was a popular pre-dinner drink for many people. But sadly, these days it’s become more associated with maiden aunts, geriatric country vicars or merely something to perk up a Sunday trifle.
Sherry is made in one small corner of Spain near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in the region of Andalusia. The name Sherry is the anglicized version of Jerez, which itself is a modern version of the much older Xerez. Andalusia is one of the hottest parts of Europe and it’s about as far south as you can go in Spain before wading into the Mediterranean.
When Spanish ships sailed the oceans during the Golden Age of exploration, they always carried a decent supply of wine, because the water on board was often unreliable. It is heartening to know that when Ferdinand Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more money on Sherry than on he did on weapons.
Sherry is nearly always made from white Palomino grapes and there are seven distinct styles, defined largely by their method of manufacture and the resulting sweetness and richness. The five most common styles are Fino; the lightest and driest, often with an earthy aroma of almonds; Manzanilla; even paler and drier and made in the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Then there’s the rich amber Oloroso with its characteristic aroma of hazelnuts and the sightly lighter Amontillado. Finally, there’s a sweet and unctuous Cream Sherry which was once a popular drink among old ladies in Britain.
The most popular Sherries come from Croft, Sandeman, Williams and Humbert, Domecq, Hidalgo, Lustau and González Byass – the makers of the renowned Tío Pepe. Because Sherry is always sold under brand names, consistency is important. It’s made by blending wines from successive years in an extensive range of barrels known as a solera. This is why Sherry doesn’t show a vintage year. After blending, something strange happens. As the new wine waits in its wooden cask, a layer of natural yeast called flor develops on the surface. The flor contributes to the taste and aroma and also protects the wine from chemical browning as it ages.
Sherry differs from table wine because it’s fortified with extra alcohol during production and so it lasts longer than ordinary table wine. But there’s a limit: an opened bottle of fino will keep fresh for up to a week in the fridge. For this reason, Sherry bottles are fitted with a special type of closure that can be replaced once a serving is poured. You don’t need a corkscrew either – just undo the foil at the top of the bottle and remove the stopper by hand.
Sandeman Fino Sherry, Bt 781 @ Friendship
Sandeman was founded in London in 1790 by brothers George and David Sandeman who hailed from Perth in Scotland. Since 1928, the company’s distinctive logo has shown a mysterious man wearing a cape and a wide Spanish hat. This is a typical Fino and its five years of ageing have produced a rich golden wine with that unmistakable, slightly pungent aroma that wafts out the glass to meet you. For some curious reason, the aroma of Sherry always reminds me of Christmas. Your first impressions might be reminders of sweet honey, caramel and raisins. However, despite the sweet aroma, the wine is completely dry and quite assertive in character; full and refreshing on the palate and with a long, persistent and satisfying lemony finish.
Sherry should always be enjoyed fairly cold, in Spanish fashion. Many people elsewhere mistakenly drink it at ambient temperature, which ruins the character of the wine. At around 15% ABV, sherry is usually served in small glasses. Avoid those tiny old-fashioned things with a flared rim because although they might look pretty, they are actually pretty useless. The traditional sherry copita (it means “small glass”) is ideal and usually a smaller version of a conventional tulip-shaped wine glass.
The label claims that that this wine makes “a perfect accompaniment to seafood, oriental cuisine, sushi…or salty appetizers”. Maybe so, but to me, Fino is the quintessential aperitif. Sometimes the smell alone reminds me of sultry summer evenings in Southern Spain. But more often, it brings nostalgic memories of Christmas dinners of long ago, on frozen evenings back in The Old Country.
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