Sherry's Second Coming?
A Cellargal* Book and Wine Pairing Inspired by
by Helen Simonson
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| http://www.amazon.com/Major-Pettigrews-Last-Stand-Novel/dp/product-description/1400068932/ref=dp_proddesc_0/177-4411954-3289460?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books |
November 9, 2011
"If I had a thousand sons, the first humane principle I would teach them should be, to forswear thin potations and to addict themselves to sack." -Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 2.
Even though Sherry is deeply rooted in Andalucian winemaking traditions, most people associate drinking Sherry with being English. This is because Sherry has been popular in England for centuries - more widely popular than it had ever been in modern Spain. Following the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake brought 2900 butts/barrels of Sherry to England from Cadiz, and the English have been hooked since. At that time, it was called "Sherris sack" or just "sack" ("Sherris" and the modern-day "Sherry" are Anglicized versions of the word "Jerez," the province in Spanish Andalucia where Sherry is produced.) Many of the Sherry houses in operation today were originally established by the English.
Over the last century, Sherry has fallen out of favor among wine drinkers, along with other sweet and/or fortified wines. In popular culture Sherry has come to be associated with fuddy-duddy English people (the Pettigrew set) and thier wannabes (think: Frasier) because those up until recently, those were the only people drinking Sherry: British folk too old and stuck in their ways to change their wine drinking habits with the times.
Today, with the emergence of the young global wine geek set, Sherry has been given a second chance. It is experiencing a renaissance as folks discover that there is more the Sherry than sweet, mass-produced styles, and that it is anything but fuddy-duddy. The wines from these centuries-old soleras are arguably some of the most labor-intensive, distincitve, and complex white wines in the world.
La Ina Fino Jerez
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1075803"Formerly owned by Domecq, this is one of Andalucía's most beloved, everyday fino sherries. Lustau recently purchased the solera as well as the trademark to this delicious fino. This is a recently bottled, impeccably fresh, salty, bright fino which would make for an excellent aperitif, or accompaniment to salted nuts, olives cheeses and a bevy of other savory foods and snacks."
Herederos de Argueso Amontillado Sanlucar de Barrameda
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1061689
"What a terrific Amontillado! Produced from their very old solera, this is a completely dry amontillado that shows beautiful aromatics: imagine toffee and orange candies, but without any of the sweetness. On the palate, the signature Amontillado intensity and nuttiness are evident, but with the citric, salty tang of one made in the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. This is a terrific, dry, invigorating aperitif, especially with cheeses."
Gutierrez Colosia "Sangre y Trabajadero" Oloroso El Puerto de Santa Maria (375ml)
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1064438
"This oloroso is a lighter style, just fortified to 17.5% abv, and even shows a hint of that salty tang which Gutierrez Colosia is known for given their prime location near the Atlantic in El Puerto de Santa Maria. It is called "Sangre y trabajadero" to honor the hard working butchers who favored this oloroso. Truly an exemplary dry oloroso to enjoy before, during or after a meal."
Emilio Hidalgo "Morenita" Cream Jerez
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1069154
"What a lovely, slightly sweet, style of sherry! In today's sherry renaissance, as it were, it seems as though the dry styles (fino, manzanilla, amontillado, some olorosos) have been favored. However, a delicately sweet cream such as this one, from one of the most respected bodegas in Jerez, is not to be missed. On the label, you will see two beautiful terms used to describe the slightly sweetened style: vino generoso and abocado. These mean that this is a cream sherry that is still enjoyed by the old timers (and younger folks as well) in Jerez; it is not sweetened, inferior juice sent to the UK and export markets. Composed of Palomino and Pedro Ximenez, there is a wonderful balance of sweet date, candied orange peel and ginger flavors. This would be perfect with cookies, pan dulce, lemon cake, or any other type of sweet but not over the top, lighter dessert."
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And a bonus wine...in honor of the the Major's Churchills (guns)..after all it wouldn't be a truly British evening without ending with some Port!
Churchill 10 Year Tawny Port
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1078613
"This house, one of the youngest in the Oporto region and owned by Johnny Graham, whose family was the original ower of the more recognizable port house of Graham, makes a truly lovely 10 year tawny port, one of the prettiest we have tasted. Spicy, fruit cake aromas lead to a palate that has a lovely balance between fresh fruit and woody, slightly nutty tawny flavors. It is elegant and very well made."
Notes from K&L Spanish and Portuguese Wine Buyer Joe Manekin.
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Styles of Sherry:
Fino ('fine' in Spanish) is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of sherry. The wine is aged in barrels under a cap of flor yeast to prevent contact with the air.
Manzanilla is an especially light variety of fino Sherry made around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Manzanilla Pasada is a Manzanilla that has undergone extended aging or has been partially oxidised, giving a richer, nuttier flavour.
Amontillado is a variety of Sherry that is first aged under flor but which is then exposed to oxygen, producing a sherry that is darker than a fino but lighter than an oloroso. Naturally dry, they are sometimes sold lightly to medium sweetened.
Oloroso ('scented' in Spanish) is a variety of Sherry aged oxidatively for a longer time than a fino or amontillado, producing a darker and richer wine. With alcohol levels between 18 and 20%, olorosos are the most alcoholic sherries in the bottle.[11] Again naturally dry, they are often also sold in sweetened versions (Amoroso).
Palo Cortado is a variety of Sherry that is initially aged like an amontillado, typically for three or four years, but which subsequently develops a character closer to an oloroso. This either happens by accident when the flor dies, or commonly the flor is killed by fortification or filtration.
Jerez Dulce (Sweet Sherries) are made either by fermenting dried Pedro Ximénez (PX) or Moscatel grapes, which produces an intensely sweet dark brown or black wine, or by blending sweeter wines or grape must with a drier variety. Cream Sherry is a common type of sweet sherry made by blending different wines, such as oloroso sweetened with PX.
Source: Wikipedia
