Ask Decanter

Editor@decanter.com

Each month our experts answer your burning wine questions. Email your questions to SHERRY STYLE GUIDE

What’s the difference between fino and manzanilla Sherry? Especially in the glass, and in terms of food matching? Susan Griffiths, by email

Natasha Hughes MW, Sherry expert, replies:

It’s very difficult confidently to identify a wine as a fino or a manzanilla in a blind tasting as the differences between the two are incredibly subtle. Both are made in the same way, and the most profound influence on their character comes from ageing under a veil of flor

(yeast cells that float on the surface of the wine in barrel, protecting it from oxidative influences). The differences between finos and manzanillas can be ascribed to the locations in which the wines are aged.

Fino is aged slightly inland, in cellars in Jerez and El Puerto de Santa María, while manzanilla is made only in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The greater exposure to cooling, humid breezes in Sanlúcar helps to maintain a deep layer of flor year-round, while drier, hotter conditions elsewhere in the region cause the flor to wax and wane over time, exposing the wines to more oxygen during the ageing process.

As a result, manzanilla is usually a little brighter and fresher than fino, often with a salty note and a hint of green apples. Fino, in contrast, tends to be richer and broader, with a gently savoury character.

When matching these wines with food, they both pair incredibly well with the kinds of finger food you’d enjoy in Andalucía’s tapas bars.

Their saline freshness makes them a terrific match for all kinds of shellfish – deep-fried calamari and gambas al pil-pil (prawns sauteed in garlic and chilli) are two of my favourites. And who can resist a plate of pata negra, especially when you realise how well the deep umami flavours of the ham chime with the yeasty richness of the Sherries?

ROSE GENDER GAP?

I was amused (and appalled) to hear TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson refer to rosé wine as ‘lady petrol’ recently on his Clarkson’s Farm series. Do men actually drink rosé? Are there any stats?

Dan Everard, by email

Lulie Halstead of market research company Wine Intelligence replies:

Our consumer research data shows that in 2007, 15% of UK men who were regular wine drinkers consumed rosé wine – by 2020, this had risen to 39%. This compares with 20% of UK women who were regular wine drinkers being rosé drinkers in 2007, increasing to 55% by 2020.

New product launches are also broadening rosé’s appeal. In the US, for example, rap star Post Malone released Maison No9 in July 2020, capturing a ‘bro-sé’ crowd that is helping to expand the pink-hued wine’s demographic from largely female in the US to more genderneutral territory. The brand’s launch has been met with success, and 50,000 bottles were sold during a two-day pre-sale on ecommerce marketplace Vivino, according to news sites. (Available at Tesco, £19)

BRUNELLO BEMUSEMENT

I have bought wine over the years from the legendary Casse Basse di Gianfranco Soldera estate in Montalcino. The data sheet for the 2014 states that the wines should be kept upright. Why?

Maarten Kerkhofs, by email

Given the characteristics of the specific bottle my late father designed in the 1980s and the outstanding quality of the cork, he was convinced that the best position for his wines is upright. The perfect fit between the cork and the internal neck is fundamental to the design, but the storage area should also be at the correct temperature (12˚C-16°C), well-ventilated, and with about 70% humidity. For more information, visit soldera.it

Monica Soldera replies:

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