The wine list
Scanning through the results of this year’s International Wine Challenge, I was delighted to see a cluster of very well priced sherries under £10 among the gold medallists.
As a sherry fanatic, I believe this long forgotten drink offers some of the best value wines in the world, considering the care and craftsmanship that goes into making them – and the complexity of flavours you get for your money.
So where did it go wrong for sherry? With too much poor sherry on the market in the past, it got a bad name and dropped out of fashion. Our memories of sherry perhaps return to Christmases past where it was served at the wrong temperature, when the vicar or a maiden aunt came for tea – and then sat lifeless too long in a decanter stuck to the back of the cupboard.
What has changed is the ‘freshness factor’ of sherry. Many of the excellent sherries on the market are sold in smaller bottle sizes with advice on chilling and consuming within two weeks of opening.
The other point against sherry is that it is a ‘fortified wine’ – which means it has had brandy added. So naturally people have popped it into the ‘too high alcohol’ category – along with port and madeira. Yet we seem more than happy to drink Australian shiraz, Argentine malbec or Californian zinfandel at 15 per cent plus because they are ‘table wines’ – yet the lighter, dry styles of sherry finos and manzanillas are similar in alcohol level at 15 per cent.
So it is time to bring out a fresh, tangy sherry to serve as an unusual aperitif or alongside a plateful of delicious charcuterie or terrine as a summer lunch, as sherry is definitely not just for Christmas.
What many people forget is that sherry comes in so many hues; it can be a perfect refreshing summer aperitif or a delicious match with certain foods – to help you along I have included food suggestions for each style. Just think of steamy hot evenings in Andalucia with bars buzzing and everyone quaffing crisp, dry, nutty finos and manzanillas from tiny capita glasses alongside their salted almonds and tapas.