Sherry Baby!

I promised some posts on Spain, so I'll start with one on sherry. If you're like me, sherry brings up notions of a sweet after dinner drink or something to use in cooking. However, Spanish sherry is quite wonderful, although an acquired taste.

After two days in Seville, we stopped in Jerez de la Frontera on the way back to our condo in Marbella. Jerez, simply translated as "sherry," is the home of this popular Spanish wine. We were definitely in the right place to learn about this spirit!

Sherry is a blended wine of several years, not a single vintage of grapes. There are many different types that range from very dry with a pale yellow color, to sweet and with a dark mahogany hue. Here's a quick primer:

Fino – This is a pale, straw-colored sherry that is dry, light and fragrant. It is served cold and is the most traditional style of sherry. It's an ideal accompaniment to tapas.
Amontillado – This variety has an amber color, with a nutty, smoky caramel flavor. It's aged in American Oak barrels and has a higher alcohol content than fino (somwhere between 17% & 20%). This was my favorite, almost like a brandy, but without the sweetness. It's even a literary icon -- check out "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe.
Olosroso - This one is full-bodied, dark and rich. Drink Oloroso before dinner or with red meats.
Cream Sherry - This variety is sweetened Amontillado or Oloroso. It is also full-bodied and velvety. Enjoy with fruit, mild cheese and even smoked meats.

Those are just a few varieties. I had most of my education at the Tio Pepe bodega (essentially a winery). Tio Pepe is the the best selling brand in the world, but just one of the many wineries tucked into Jerez' winding streets. My sister and mom really enjoyed the Croft Cream Sherry which is made in Spain and only exported to England. It blends the crispness of a fino with the depth of a cream sherry. It was good - not sweet like I expected - and Erin and Kate both brought bottles home.

If you want to give sherry a try, I'd suggest looking for a Jerez fino. BevMo has a couple in stock. I'd sip it chilled with some cheese and olives. I'd also savor some Amontillado after dinner. It's flavor comes on strong, but once you give it a few sips it mellows and is quite delicious.