Sherry Facts and Types of Sherry
Sherry is no longer an old-fashioned drink once associated with 1970s housewives. It is a wonderful Spanish wine made from exceptional grapes. Sherries may only be produced within the official D.O. region in Andalusia. At Grandcruwijnen, we offer a beautiful selection of Sherry wines for every budget, but just like with our regular wines, we never compromise on quality.
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In Spain, the wine is still called 'Jerez', after the main city in the D.O. region. Thanks to the English, who altered Jerez to 'Sherry', the rest of the world now uses this name.
Sherry does not carry a vintage. There are currently two special aging categories: VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum / Very Old Sherry) meaning Sherry aged for at least 20 years, and VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum / Very Old Rare Sherry) aged for at least 30 years.
Sherry Region
Sherry can only come from the official D.O. region in Spain (Andalusia), located between the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa MarÃa. This area is also known as the Sherry Triangle. If you connect these three cities on the map, you get a triangle—hence the name. Every Sherry must age at least three years within this triangle, even if the grapes come from nearby hills.
The Sherry region is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and two rivers. It is warm, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, resulting in a hot climate. Westerly winds from the Atlantic bring some cooling relief.
Soil of the Sherry Region
The Sherry region has a unique type of soil called albariza. ‘Alba’ means white, and the soil is dazzlingly white (reflecting sunlight) and very rich in chalk. In extreme cases, the soil contains up to 80% chalk. This porous soil absorbs rainwater efficiently, allowing vines to access moisture deep underground during dry periods. The best Fino Sherries come from older vines planted in albariza soil.
What makes the Sherry Triangle truly unique is the ‘flor’, especially due to the local climate. The salty sea breeze provides the perfect amount of humidity, salinity, and cooling, enabling the formation of a yeast layer called ‘flor’. This layer protects the wine from oxygen, keeping it pale in color and giving it characteristic aromas of almonds, yeast, and apples.
Sherry Grapes & Wines
Palomino Fino is the dominant grape in Sherry production, accounting for 95% of plantings. It’s a white variety with a fairly neutral profile, aside from some herbal citrus notes. It forms the base of the dry Jerez wines. Palomino-based Sherries are divided into two main styles: Fino and Oloroso. In the vineyard, grapes are already selected for either Fino or Oloroso style. The best Finos come from old vines on albariza soils, while Oloroso can also be made from grapes grown on heavier clay soils. A second selection is done in the cellar. The cellar master (capataz) tastes the base wines and decides which are suitable for aging under flor. Wines intended for Fino are more refined. Oloroso (Spanish for ‘fragrant’) wines are fuller and more aromatic, and thus not suited for flor. Oloroso is fortified to a higher alcohol level, preventing flor development.
Pedro Ximénez (PX) is the second key grape of the region. It’s a white grape with very high sugar content. It is used for the sweet, pure PX wines and also to sweeten other Sherries. Additionally, Moscatel grapes are used to make naturally sweet Sherries.
Types
Fino Sherry
Fresh, light, dry, almond – Aged under flor, alcohol around 15%, best served between 6–8°C.
Manzanilla Sherry
Spicy, dry, salty, chamomile – A more elegant Fino from the cooler, more humid coastal area around Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Due to local conditions, the flor develops differently, resulting in a more refined, salty character. Aged under flor, 15% alcohol, serve at 6–8°C.
Amontillado Sherry
Refined, dry, aromatic, hazelnut – Partially aged under flor, amber in color, 16–20% alcohol, serve around 12°C.
Palo Cortado Sherry
Complex, refined, light citrus – Starts as a Fino but ages without flor, chestnut color, 18–20% alcohol, serve around 14°C.
Oloroso Sherry
Warm, complex, powerful, walnut – Oxidative aging, mahogany color, 17–22% alcohol, serve between 12–16°C.
Pedro Ximénez Sherry (PX)
Syrupy, raisin, fig, chocolate – Made from sun-dried grapes, oxidative aging, dark in color, 15–18% alcohol, serve at 8–10°C.
En Rama Sherry
Complex, bottled straight from the barrel. ‘En Rama’ means raw – no filtering, fining, or intervention, which can result in sediment or cloudiness. Bottled earlier than other Sherries and always in small bottles, as it quickly loses its vitality after opening. Serve around 10°C.
Sherry Vinification
Sherry is a fortified wine. Making a Fino or Oloroso starts the same way as making white wine. Grapes are pressed and fermented into a dry base wine in stainless steel tanks to preserve aroma. The Palomino grape, used for both styles, has relatively low sugar. After fermentation, the wine has about 12% alcohol. It is then fortified: Finos to 15%, Olorosos to 17–18%. During aging and blending, the final alcohol content can rise. The key difference between Fino and Oloroso lies in the presence of flor. Fino develops under flor; Oloroso does not.
Flor is a natural yeast layer that forms on wine in the Sherry region. This gray-white layer protects the wine from oxygen, keeping it pale and fresh. It also imparts aromas of almond and flowers. Flor consumes glycerol, an alcohol present in all wines that gives roundness. Because Finos lack glycerol, they taste drier and leaner. Olorosos, on the other hand, are rounder and fuller.
Solera System
Both Finos and Olorosos are aged in barrels stacked in tiers – the solera system. The bottom row, the solera, holds the oldest wine. ‘Solera’ comes from ‘suelo’, meaning floor. The rows above, called criaderas, contain progressively younger wine. When bottling is needed, wine is drawn from the solera. These barrels are refilled from the layer above, and so on, with the top layer receiving new wine each year. This blending process means Sherry never has a vintage; different harvests blend to form a consistent house style. Solera barrels are always old, never new, so the wine never picks up a woody flavor.