| Sherry Wines |
| The region of Jerez de la
Frontera, in the province of Cadiz, produces a unique type
of wine, the famous Sherry.
In this activity, we will run through the history of this
wine that goes from the Phoenicians to the present, passing
through Rome, the Arab invasions, pirate attacks and the migration
of European families that came here to produce these wines.
We will learn how this wine is produced from the harvest and
the picking of the grape, until the bottling process. We will
learn what the sediment is made of, and the peculiar way to
culture the Jerez wines. And of course, the best thing is
the experience.
We will taste the various types
of Sherry wines to be able to appreciate the differences
between them. Manzanilla and Fino, Oloroso, Palo Cortado,
Pale Cream, Cream, Pedro Ximenez... Each one has
specific characteristics and you can decide which one is your
favourite... or favourites. |
|
|
| History of Sherry Wines |
 |
|
The first grapevines were brought by the
Phoenicians to the Jerez area around 1.100 BC. It made a very
rough wine, that used to be cooked in order to be preserved
through long distance shipping. It had a very high alcohol content.
In the year 138 BC Escipión Emiliano pacified the region
and began exporting products to Rome: Wine, Olive oil, and Garum
(a fish paste, like a marinade)In the year 711 AD the Arabic
domination came to Spain, but wine continued to be consumed
although it was prohibited in the Koran.
In the year 966, Almanzor, Vizier of the Caliph Alhaken II,
decided to rip the vines out, but the people of Jerez convinced
the Caliph that the grapes gave the soldiers energy, and they
were able to conserve a third of the grapevines.In 1.264 Alfonso
X El Sabio reconquered Jerez and wine could be consumed again.
At that time the Christians drank wine and ate pork to differentiate
themselves from the Muslims. They even gave the horses some
wine before battles. By then, in the 12th century, wine had
already been sent to England, where it began to be known by
the Arabic name of the city, "Sherish", the origin
of the word "Sherry".
In the 15th and 16th centuries sherry became a source of wealth
in the region, and its trade was under the King's protection.
It was exported to England, France and the Netherlands. At that
time, all the boats heading toward America reserved a third
of its cargo space for sherry.
In 1587 Martin Frobisher, from Francis Drake´s fleet,
attacked Cadiz and Jerez and took with him 3.000 botas (wineskins)
filled with this wine. This booty made Sherry wine very popular
in the English court.From 1682 on, after some violent intents,
the English decided to bring the wine over peacefully, and English
businessmen settled in Jerez, founding bodegas (wine cellars)
like Garvey, Duff-Gordon, Wisdom & Warter, Osborne.
After them came the repatriated Spanish capital after the independence
from the colonies (González, Marqués de Misa..)
as well as the French Domecq o Lacave.Nowadays, Sherry wines
from Jerez are exported all over the world. |
|
|
| Types of Sherry Wines |
 |
|
FINO: Golden coloured,
15º, dry, delicate aroma, light, "almond flavored".
Drank with: Appetizers, tapas, soups, seafood, white fish and
mild cheeses.
MANZANILLA: Lighter
golden color, 15º, similar to fino but aged nearer to the
sea, in Sanlucar de Barrameda.
Drank with the same dishes as Fino.
AMONTILLADO:
Amber colored, 17.5º, "hazelnut flavored", light
and soft to the palate.
Drank with: White meat, dark fish, cured cheeses.
OLOROSO:
Amber or chestnut colored (darker), strong aroma (that´s
where the name comes from), 18º, strong body, "nut
flavoured".
Drank with: Game or red meat.
PALO CORTADO:
Chestnut colored, dry, 18º, combined characteristics of
the amontillado and the oloroso. Hard to find because the ideal
grapes for this wine disappeared with the phylloxera epidemic
in 1894.
PALE CREAM: Pale color (golden),
soft and sweet, 17,5º.
Drank with: Paté, fresh fruit.
CREAM:
Dark colored, it is obtained from oloroso, but it is sweet 17,5º.
Drank with: pastries
PEDRO XIMENEZ:
Dark chestnut colored, smells of raisins. Soft and sweet, but
very aromatic. Made with the "Pedro Ximenez" variety
of grapes, sun ripened.
Drank with: Pastries and blue cheeses |
|
|
