Sherry is a fortified wine from Spain made from Moscato, Palomino, and Pedro Ximenez grapes. It comes in various styles, including Oloroso, Amontillado, Fino, and Sweet Sherry. Sherry has a long history and was popular on sea voyages due to its fortification.
Sherry is a fortified wine from a small region of Spain, made from Moscato, Palomino and Pedro Ximenez grapes. In the United States and some other countries, some producers market Sherry-style wines – although technically, such as the use of the term Champagne for sparkling wines, calling such wines Sherry is incorrect.
This wine is produced in the early stages like most other types. Once fermented, however, it is fortified with brandy. At this point, some Sherries have added more yeast and some have not. It is somewhat similar to other fortified wines, such as Port – compared to Port, however, Sherry is somewhat less alcoholic.
Sherry can come in a variety of different styles, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Oloroso is a type that is about 17.5 percent alcohol — too high an alcohol content to allow for any yeast to grow — that is extremely dark and full of flavor. Amontillado is usually around 15% ABV and has floral yeast added after the initial fermentation. Amontillado is a lighter wine than Oloroso. Fino is a type that has a fairly dry texture and the lightest of all the varieties. Sweet Sherry is one of these drier Sherry wines with the addition of a sweet wine such as Moscato.
This drink has a long and prestigious history, in competition with that of most of the wines still in circulation today. The earliest record of grapes in what is now the Jerez region of Spain where Sherry comes from is from a 1st century BC Greek, who speaks of the vines being brought there in 1100 BC There is ample archaeological evidence that the Romans enjoyed the wine of this region of Spain.
The Jerez grapes had a tough time during Spain’s Moorish period, when Islamic precepts caused many vines to be uprooted. Much survived, however, and once the Moors left Spain in the 13th century, the vines were replanted with incredible passion. From then on, Jerez wines were famous throughout Europe, especially in England, where they became known as Sherry.
Magellan is known to have spent more money on Sherry on her long voyage around the world than on weapons, and Columbus is said to have brought ample supplies on his voyage to the New World. Sherry’s fortification, like Port, allows it to survive rough sea voyages far better than more sensitive wines, helping to explain its popularity on long voyages. In the 19th century, wine took its place as one of the world’s great spirits, being exported in large quantities to England and the United States, as well as the rest of the world. It was this era that saw a refinement of the production procedure and began to allow wines to be aged longer before release, resulting in richer, fuller wines.
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