If you still shy away from a glass of sherry, then International Sherry Week 2015 is the perfect excuse to delve into the sherry triangle and get to grips with one of the great wines of the world.
By its very nature, sherry can only come from Jerez in south west Spain which is framed by three Andalucian towns.
Bodegas produce several varieties of sherry made from the white palomino grape, but it’s the young, dry styles – fino and manzanilla – that are capturing our attention and headlining this week-long fiesta.
With more than 2,000 events in 22 countries, and sherry-themed dinners in participating bars, restaurants and wine shops across the UK, the sherry market is certainly looking vibrant. And our thirst for these fine wines has also been fuelled by the fact they go with all our favourites snacks.
Served ice cold in a wine glass, dry sherry tastes delicious with salt and vinegar crisps, salty almonds, olives, manchego cheese, serrano ham, anchovies, oysters… this list goes on.
“Sherry has had a real resurgence in recent years and its reputation as the sweet and sticky choice of elderly ladies has long gone,” says Louise Lynch, product developer for wine and spirits, Sainsbury’s. “Sherry is a passion of mine and I’m really pleased with the work we’ve done to develop our range.
“Our Winemakers’ Selection by Sainsbury’s Manzanilla (£5.50, 75cl, Sainsbury’s) is typical of this delicate style of sherry and its characteristically salty taste makes it the perfect match for seafood.”
Fino and manzanilla are aged under a layer of natural yeast called ’flor’ which gives them their unique flavour. The two styles are very similar, the difference being manzanilla can only be produced in the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda and is a lighter, saltier version of fino.
Sharing the same savoury, saline character, try Mariscal Manzanilla Sherry, Tanners (£8.70, 75cl, www.tanners-wines.co.uk), which marries floral notes with a salty sea breeze note and a light nuttiness, it’s a terrific choice with calamari or garlic prawns.
Meanwhile, Manzanilla La Gitana Hidalgo (£9.99, 50cl, www.majestic.co.uk) has blanched almond notes riding on the supple round fruit with similar nutty nuances and a lovely salty tanginess on the long, fresh finish. Excellent with a bowl of olives.
Born into Spain’s oldest wine-producing region, these lightly fortified wines offer unbeatable quality and value, especially with examples such as Asda Dry Fino Sherry (£5, 75cl, Asda). Bone dry, bright and brisk, with a yeasty nose, this would taste delicious with any type of seafood, even grilled fish.
Elsewhere, Waitrose Fino (£6.99, 75cl, Waitrose) has a racy freshness with bitter citrus notes on a clean palate with a crisp, pure finish that could even encourage a dash to the local chippie for some old-school fish and chips, generously laced with vinegar.
One of the bestselling brands, sales of Tio Pepe have increased by 38% in tapas restaurants and bars across the UK in 2015 and Gonzalez Tio Pepe Fino (currently on offer at £8, down from £10, www.tesco.com) is tangy, yeasty and savoury with a bone dry finish that acts as the perfect foil to the richness of chorizo sausage. And with the growing popularity for Spanish food, it’s hardly surprising we’re sipping more of these unique wines.
