Sherry wine is a type of fortified wine made from a white grape called Palomino that is grown in the Jerez region of Spain. The name “Sherry” is an anglicization of the Spanish word “Jerez”. If you’re looking to buy wine online, then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about sherry and fortified wine, including its categories, some of the best examples in case you want to buy wine online, and their flavor profile.

What is Sherry Wine

Sherry wine has been around for centuries and was originally made for medicinal purposes. They were first mentioned in the 12th century, and by the 15th century, they were being exported to other countries in Europe. Fortified wines were very popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was thought to have many health benefits and was used to treat several ailments.

Nowadays, fortified wine is enjoyed for its unique flavor and is often served as an aperitif or as a dessert wine. In addition, it becomes very popular in wine online stores.

Types Of Sherry

If the additional alcohol is added after fermentation, a dry fortified wine will result such as Sherry and it is classified into three categories: Fino, Manzanilla, and Oloroso with an alcohol content ranging from 18%-20%.

They are aged under a very delicate process. Known as Solera, portions of the wine are periodically removed from the oldest barrels and bottled, with new stocks being added to maintain this cycle. This produces a consistent taste year after year which typically takes twelve to thirty years to establish.

Fino, the drier and saltiest type of Sherry wine, is generally made from high-acidity Palomino grapes grown in chalky white soil called Albariza - this is the lightest and most delicate type of fortified wine.

Fairbanks Sherry

This wine is not from Spain, but even with an affordable price tag, it is still a great alternative. It has the typical flavors of fortified wine such as nutty flavor, raisin, and hints of peanut, with a moderate sweetness. This dish has a great balance of flavor, which makes it complex to eat. Consider cooking your food with this wine to enhance its flavor profile.

Manzanilla, similar to fino wines, incorporates the same winemaking and aging under flor techniques. These are dry, with saltiness similar to manzanillas but tempered with freshness. This stage of production has to happen in the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda—thanks to its lower temperatures and higher humidity levels than other places. This region’s unique microclimate triggers an especially yeasty aroma for these wines when they age inside warehouses there, a funky yet wonderful scent reminiscent of briny sea air, bruised apples, or even chamomile tea.

Valdespino Deliciosa Manzanilla Sanclucar de Barrameda Sherry

Valdespino is among the most reputable wine producers in Jerez. Famous for their time-honored techniques in wine production, all of Valdespino's wines are aged in traditional oak barrels with native yeast strains. It is made entirely from 100% Palomino Fino grapes, which gives it an easy drinking quality and a smooth taste on the palate.

Amontillado starts out as a fino wine; but it finishes dry, with an intense nutty flavor due to the intentional lack of flor. It is fortified because if there were no layer of flor - oxidation would happen at a quicker rate.

Lustau Solera los Arcos Dry Amontillado Sherry

The House of Lustau was founded in 1896 and has since established itself as one of the world’s most respected brands for top-quality wines. Acquiring an authentic taste through years of aging, it expresses intense honeyed fragrances, this many times award-winning wine has proven its reputation time and again.

The name Oloroso refers to the gorgeous smell it leaves in its wake, much like an intoxicating perfume. Drier than other sherry styles - these wines hover around 17- 18% ABV. Unlike Fino Sherries - this degree of fortification means that Flor cannot develop; Flor is purposefully killed off so that Oxidation will take over instead. An Oloroso style wine could be Sweet or Dry depending on whether they use Moscatel (sweet) or if they're made solely out of Palomino's grapes instead.

Instead of these, there are also other minor varieties of Sherry and other fortified wines that is possible to see in online wine stores, such as creams, which are the most sugary type of Sherry, or pale creams obtained by sweetening finos and manzanillas and mediums obtained from wines that have oxidized with age.

Sherry wines are not the only fortified wines, there is also Port wines. It comes from the Douro River Valley in Portugal; in Spain, they call it the Duero. This region is perfect for cultivating grapes because of its favorable climate - deep river and hilly terrain are key factors when thinking about Port's Terroir. However, if you want to learn more about port wines and have more knowledge when you want to buy wine online, you should take a look at our blog "Port versus Sherry: Knowing the Difference"

Source by- https://medium.com/@bottlebarn/know-all-about-sherry-wine-368db203a1c1