Jerez

Sherry is the fortified wine produced in the region around the town of Jerez de la Frontera in the Cadiz prefecture in the southern edge of the Iberian Peninsula. Sherry is the Spanish Vino de Jerez which originated as Xérès, the name given to the town by the Moors who governed this region from 711ad, eventually Xérès became Sherry in English and Jerez in Spanish. It is thought that vines were first brought by the Phoenicians to this region in 1100bc, but it was the arrival of the Moors from Africa that gave the locals the knowledge of distillation that meant they could now preserve wines by fortifying with distilled grape brandy. Sherry has been traditionally destined for export markets including UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavian countries where the wine was popular for a long time. Sherry became unfashionable towards the end of the 20^th century and sales declined for many years but there is a new interest in these unique wines and sales are rising once again.

The vineyards form rolling hills with chalky soil called ‘Albariza’. The Albariza soil absorbs water during the rainy season from autumn to spring and stores it for the vines in the dry season. It is very hot in summer, but the heat is softened by the cool and humid winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The three grape varieties used are all white. Palamino is used in 95% of wines and is neutral flavoured with naturally high acidity. Pedro Ximenes and Moscatel are used for sweet wines and blending.

Most of the sherry produced is dry and meant to be paired with food. Sherry’s magnificence comes from the fact that, like Champagne, true Sherry can only be made in one tiny corner of the world. Many imitators have tried to replicate the salty, nutty, and aromatic profile of Sherry throughout history, but the unique winds, humidity, soil and seasonal changes in Andalucía give a singular character to the wines produced there.