Wine region
Jerez (Sherry)
Jerez is the home of sherry: Palomino on white albariza, flor, solera and styles from fino and manzanilla to oloroso and Pedro Ximénez.
- Vineyard area
- about 7,000 hectares around Jerez, Sanlúcar and El Puerto de Santa María
- Main grapes
- Palomino for the dry wines; Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel for the sweet ones
- Soil and climate
- albariza (white chalky soil); warm, about 3,000 hours of sunshine, Atlantic
- Styles
- Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez
- Ageing
- solera system, average age of at least two years; flor at 15, oxidative from 17 per cent by volume
- Appellations
- Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Jerez is the home of sherry, in the far south of Spain in the province of Cádiz, close to the Atlantic. The heart of the region is the Sherry Triangle between Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda; its bodegas are where sherries traditionally age. The roughly 7,000 hectares of vines grow on albariza, an almost white, chalky soil rich in calcium carbonate, which stores winter rain and bakes hard at the surface in summer, so the vines find water through the dry season. The Atlantic tempers the heat and brings humidity at night; the region has about 3,000 hours of sunshine a year.
The main grape is Palomino, which does best on albariza and gives the dry sherries; it yields wines of low acidity. Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel, the latter mostly from Chipiona, give the sweet wines; their grapes are dried in the sun before pressing.
After complete fermentation the base wines are fortified with wine spirit, and that decides the style. At 15 per cent by volume a layer of yeast, flor, forms on the wine in the cask and protects it from oxygen; at 17 per cent or more it cannot survive and the wine ages oxidatively. Ageing takes place in oak casks, mostly American oak and often of 600 litres, only partly filled, in the solera system: the casks are stacked in several tiers, with the oldest wine at the bottom, the solera. Only a part is drawn off each time and topped up with wine from the next tier, the criadera. The result is a blend of many vintages, of constant style, with an average age of at least two years under the rules.
Fino and manzanilla are the palest, driest sherries, aged entirely under flor: almond, bread dough, chamomile, saline freshness. Manzanilla may age only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the sea climate shapes the flor, and has its own appellation. An amontillado ages first under flor and then oxidatively, with hazelnut and tobacco. An oloroso ages without flor from the start, is dark, with walnut and leather, and can exceed 20 per cent alcohol after long ageing. A palo cortado sits between amontillado and oloroso. Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel are sweet; the labels VOS and VORS mean sherries of at least 20 and 30 years.
Fino and manzanilla are served well chilled, at 6 to 8 degrees, with olives, almonds, ham, seafood and salted fish; air-dried meat of the Grisons goes well too. Amontillado and oloroso, at 12 to 14 degrees, go with soups, mushrooms, game and braises. Very sweet Pedro Ximénez is poured over ice cream or drunk with blue cheese.