Amontillado is a type of sherry made from white grapes grown in Spain and fortified with brandy. It is a medium-coloured wine that falls between fino and oloroso varieties. It is often paired with appetizers and entrees and can be stored for a few years.
Amontillado is a type of alcoholic beverage called sherry. It is normally considered a medium-coloured, fortified wine that falls between the lightest fino sherry varieties and the darkest oloroso varieties. The name amontillado comes from the Montilla region of Spain, where the variety was first created in the 18th century. Some commercial producers of sherry use the name to describe any sherry that has a color between that of fino sherry and that of oloroso.
The base sherry is made from white grapes grown in Spain and falls into the category of fortified wines. Fortified wine is made by adding a distilled beverage to wine. Brandy is the commonly preferred additive. Other popular fortified drinks include vermouth, Madeira, Marsala and port.
The amontillado type of sherry normally begins as fino, which is generally considered the lightest of the three common types of sherries. Fino, which means “fine” in English, has such a mild flavor that it begins to fade a few hours after the bottle is opened and the contents are exposed to air. To safeguard the flavour, a layer of yeast is often used as a cap for fino during production. If that cap fails to form properly, either by accident or at the sherry maker’s design, the fino is made into amontillado. This fortification process increases the alcohol content of the liquid from 13.5% in the up to 17.5% in the amontillado.
Based on its dry, slightly sweet flavor, this type of sherry is often paired with appetizers such as cheese, salted nuts or olives, or served with entrees such as rabbit or fowl. Most consumers prefer it to be served slightly chilled. Centuries ago, it was a common accompaniment to thin soups such as consommé that were often served as the first course of a formal meal.
Because it was professionally stored and aged before being sold, Amontillado holds up well. Its stability is superior to fino and, if properly stored, can survive a few years in a properly controlled environment. When refrigerated and securely corked, the sherry will be suitable to drink for about two weeks after the bottle is opened.
Oloroso, amontillado’s darker cousin, translates as “perfumed” from Spanish. This can be attributed to the intense nutty aroma commonly associated with oloroso, produced by oxidative aging. It has a higher glycerin content than amontillado and is generally the smoothest and least dry of the three varieties. It is often marketed as a cream sherry and, unlike the others, is not generally recommended as a cooking ingredient.
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