It goes without saying that Spain is known for their wine. A crisp glass of Albariño with some grilled prawns or a glass of elegant Rioja with a plate of Iberico ham is part of daily life in this country. This week we learn about Sherry wine, Vino de Jerez in Spanish. It may not be the first Spanish wine people would think of, but it is a very complex and interesting wine once you step into their world. As the first week of November is Sherry week, I went to Madrid&Darracott for a tasting to learn more about this fascinating wine.
Luke, one of the owners, welcomed us to their tasting room, getting us started with some basics of Sherry wine. Sherry wine is made in the south west of Spain, in the Cadiz region of Andalucia. It has to be made in the Jerez region, therefore called Vino de Jerez. The name shows the Denominación de Origen, where the wine is made, in the same way like Rioja or Bordeaux.
One of the reasons why Sherry wine is so fascinating is the variety of styles. From the very pale colored and dry Fino to the almost black colored, extra sweet Pedro Ximenez, the 10 different styles will give you a suitable wine for every occasion.
We first tried four of the dry-style Sherry wines. These wines are made of Palomino grapes, a neutral grape that is perfect for the Sherry to develop the different taste profiles. Sherry wines are fortified wines (grape alcohol is added to increase alcohol percentage from a normal wine), and then aged in different ways depending on the style.
If you are interested to learn more about the types, history or production of Sherry wine, they sum it up nicely here.
These wines have higher alcohol content than a standard white wine and have unusual flavors, but they pair amazingly with food. You might almost say that married to food they bring out their best qualities. I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to Japanese Sake (rice wine), enhancing the flavors of both the drink and the food when combined. In fact, Luke told us that although Sherry wine is not everyone’s favorite the first time they try, often Japanese people are quite fond of them. Perhaps people who enjoy Sherry wine tend to like Sake as well.
Our last glass was a Pedro Ximenez, made from the grape of the same name. The ripened grapes are dried under the strong Spanish sun to make raisins, concentrating their sugar. This mahogany colored, syrupy wine is so sweet that they say it is probably the naturally sweetest wine in the world. However it is not just sugary - it has complex flavors of caramel, chocolate with a nice freshness of the grapes.
The insightful, fun tasting about Sherry wine was done by Madrid&Darracott, a wine shop near Plaza Mayor in Madrid. If you are looking for a special bottle of Sherry or any other wine, it is a great place to get recommendations. Tastings are done every Thursday on different themes, and you will love the stories told along the beautiful glasses of wine, and the great personalities of Luke and Roque!
Madrid＆Darracott: Calle del Duque de Rivas 8, Madrid
