Discovering Sherry The Numerous Charms Of One Of The Globes Finest Wines

Discovering Sherry The Numerous Charms Of One Of The Globes Finest Wines

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This was certainly one of those paradigm-shifting trips that not only

opened up my eyes to Sherry in particular, but that also forced

me to reasses what I believed fermented grape juice was

capable of.

The best wines, as makers and connoisseurs have

understood for a very long time, are firmly rooted to a specific

geographical location. And, indeed, the classifications and

appellations of Europe are dependant on the principle that the same

grape variety can be harvested from two neighboring villages,

for example, and express themselves in completely divergent

ways as a result of the variations in the geology of the

vineyards along with the micro-climatic shifts from one place to the

other.

In Jerez, nonetheless, things really are a bit diverse. Journey to Bordeaux

or Burgundy, by way of contrast, and youll hear the regular

drumbeat of the significance of the land; brilliant wines, they have a tendency

to say, are made in the vineyard. In Jerez, nonetheless, we were

advised time and again that your best wines, although requiring beneficial

fruit and vineyard locations, are commonly produced within the winery and

over the several years in the barrels as they mature and evolve.

In contrast to dry wine, most of which can be sold year after year in

vintage-designated bottlings, Sherry is the result of the

regions famous solera system. Put simply, the solera system

facilitates the progressive blending of new wines and older

ones, which layers the flavors and aromas, adds depth and

nuance to wines as the blends accumulate, and results in a

finished product that is as intimately and literally tied to

the past as any wines in the world.

The success of these fortified wines the very fact that they can be

made at all, in truth is a result of the diverse geographical

region in the legendary Sherry Triangle and the nature of the

grapes that grow there, as well as of the unique strains of yeast

that flourish as well as the flor that results. (For particulars on the

area, the solera system, flor and why genuine Sherry can only

come from here, visit www.sherrycouncil.com, the outstanding

internet site of the Sherry Council of America.)

Over the course of my time in Spain, we experienced the chance

to visit nine bodegas and to taste dozens of samples

each on their very own and during meals. And possibly more

than anything else, I was flat-out astounded by how

well Sherry pairs with food.

Some of this success at the table is a result of the range

of styles in which Sherry is produced, from dry,

supremely refreshing fino and more caramelized but

still lithe amontillado, to rich, structured oloroso and

the dessert-in-a-glass Pedro Ximnez. (There are other

styles too my favorite, in fact, was the rare,

mysterious palo cortado.)

But more important than the range of Sherry styles is

the nature of the wines themselves, the unexpected

flavor profiles with which they frame the foods theyre

being sipped alongside. For even though differences

between, say, a fino and an oloroso are vast, Sherry has

the ability to handle a range of ingredients that

precious few other wines do. Over the course of our

week in Jerez, we paired various styles of Sherry with

everything from sardines on tomato bread, to garlicky,

nutty baby eels, to steak with mushroom, to foie gras,

and even notoriously wine-unfriendly artichokes, and

Sherry made easy work of them all, highlighting the

flavors we wanted, minimizing the ones we didnt, and

making every dish not only more delicious than it otherwise

would have been, but also a flavor and texture odyssey as

enjoyable on an intellectual level as it was on a sensory one.

And while Sherry is not yet as widely consumed on this side of

the Atlantic as its unfortified cousins, more and more of it is

being imported and loved. So seek it out and stock your cellar

with a broad enough range of styles and producers to start the

process of learning more about Sherry, one of the most

interesting, delicious, food-friendly wines around.

Brian Freedman is a food, wine and travel writer and

wine consultant. He writes for John Mariani's Virtual

Gourmet, Philadelphia Style Magazine, and the blog

www.UncorkLife.com for Wine Chateau, among others.

For more information on his work, or to contact him

regarding consulting or speaking, please visit

www.BrianFreedmanPhiladelphia.com.

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