Andalusian fortified wine from the Jerez triangle, solera-aged. Five named styles run from bone-dry Fino to syrupy Pedro Ximénez.
Made in the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry D.O. (Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, El Puerto de Santa María) since at least the 12th century. The English Sherry comes from Moorish Sherish. The solera system came into widespread use in the 19th century to produce a consistent house style.
Manzanilla is legally Fino aged in Sanlúcar de Barrameda only — the sea air makes the flor thicker, the salinity more pronounced. González Byass's Tío Pepe solera in Jerez has been running continuously since 1844.
Fino: pale straw, almond and saline, 15% ABV, drink ice-cold from a copita. Oloroso: mahogany, walnut and tobacco, 18%+, room temperature. PX: black, viscous, raisins on raisins, pour over vanilla ice cream and call it dessert.
Solera fractional blending: rows of barrels stacked by age, you draw a third from the oldest row, top it from the next, and so on up. Flor — a yeast veil — protects Fino and Manzanilla from oxidation; Oloroso ages without flor and oxidises on purpose.
Variations
Five core styles: Fino (flor-aged dry), Manzanilla (Sanlúcar Fino), Amontillado (Fino that lost its flor), Oloroso (oxidative), Pedro Ximénez (sun-dried grapes). Palo Cortado is the rare in-between — accidental, expensive.
On the Palate
Where Sherry sits in the Spanish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 1How it's made
4 steps · 5 min active + 1109 days 30 min waiting
- 120160 min
Press Palomino grapes; ferment juice to dry base wine 2 weeks.
- 25 min
Fortify with grape spirit to 15.5% ABV (Fino) or higher for other styles.
Watch outWatch the ABV land right at 15.5 for Fino — too high and the flor yeast veil won't form.
- 330 min
Transfer to 600 L American oak butt; allow flor yeast cap to form (Fino style).
Watch outThe flor should knit into a pale waxy film on top; a clean unbroken veil means it's protecting the wine from air.
- 41576800 min
Age in solera system 3+ years, blending older with newer barrels annually.
