I fell in love last summer.

I fell in love with a romantic notion that somewhere in Europe, there is a place where the food, the wine, the people, and the very essence of the land are beautiful and pleasant. Such a place does exist: It’s Andalusia in southwestern Spain.

The so-called “Sherry triangle” of Jerez, El Puerto and Sanlucar represents the only geographical location in the world where Sherry can legally be produced. It is also a place of exceptional beauty, genuine hospitality and traditions that date back centuries.

At one time, the coastline of southwestern Spain was the gateway to the western world. In the days of early trade and exploration, all ships entering or leaving Spanish territory passed through the ports of Cadiz and El Puerto. Many of these vessels were bound for England carrying raw materials, the produce of the land, and, of course, Sherry.

The English have always been — and continue to be — the number one exporter of Spain’s most famous fortified wine. Beyond this, little is really understood about Sherry, and a world of myth, stereotype, and misinformation abounds — everything from Sherry being the drink of choice for little old ladies to the idea that it is not a wine, but some kind of liqueur that is made with heat from the sun.

So what is Sherry, really?

It is a fortified wine made in the Spanish Denominacion of Origin of Jerez. It was here, from the same ports where Magellan and Columbus sailed, that some of the earliest casks of wine being transported were Sherry.

There are at least four distinct styles of dry Sherry, and an entire gamut of sweet Sherries, starting with less than 40 grams of residual sugar and continuing to the almost unbearably sweet Pedro Ximénez varieties, which can exceed 400 grams.

Following the phylloxera disaster, when European vineyards had to be uprooted and replaced with American rootstock, it was decided that the only grape to be used as the basis for dry Sherry was the Palomino. Two naturally sweet varieties, Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez, were deemed allowable to add sweetness to the dessert wine varieties. It is these three grapes alone that create the seemingly limitless styles, from the pale and bone dry Fino, to the dark, syrupy, Pedro Ximénez nectars.

Fino and the solera system

In Spain, the vast majority of the Sherry consumed by locals is Fino. It’s a favorite at tapas bars throughout Andalusia, and its ability to pair with the most varied and unusual menus imaginable make it a perfect fit. Although it is a fortified wine, it is not to be confused with Port, or other heavy, sweet wines. Fino is light and lively, with a pale straw color, and a taste quite unlike any other wine in the world. This unique flavor results from a most unusual process of winemaking, the solera system.

Sherries were originally fortified as a means of stabilizing the wine so that it could survive lengthy sea voyages. This was done by adding an amount of pure grape spirit sufficient to raise the level of alcohol to a point that the wine could withstand the temperature extremes and exposure to oxygen that would occur during transport.

Today, Sherry is still fortified, but for a different purpose. When wine ferments, yeast attacks and consumes the sugars in the grape juice, or must, and alcohol is the by product. Fermentation normally ceases, if left to its own devices, when there is no sugar left to consume (a completely dry wine results), or the alcohol level reaches a point that is toxic to the yeast and it dies.

This naturally occurring process developed an unusual exception in Jerez. Even at 15 percent alcohol, the base level of fortification, the yeast does not die, but rather begins to feed on the alcohol and dissolved oxygen in the wine.

A layer of this yeast forms on the surface of the wine, simultaneously protecting the wine from oxidation, and interacting with the wine in the cask. This layer is called the “flor” and is responsible for Sherry’s one-of-a-kind characteristics.

In order to allow the wine to age but to keep the flor alive and nourished, the winemakers of Jerez developed the solera system. Casks are stacked in a minimum of three levels, the bottom level being known as the solera, from the Spanish word for soil, or ground.

Above this are the criaderas, literally nurseries. Each year, a certain percentage of the wine in the solera is bottled and offered for sale. The same amount is taken from the criadera above and blended into the Solera for the following year’s bottling.

The same procedure continues until the current year’s harvest takes place and the new wine is fermented and added to the last criadera, where it will remain covered with flor and work its way down until it also becomes part of the Solera, in which remains at least a residual amount of the Sherry from every vintage since the inception of the particular Bodega.

Amontillado

There are times when the flor will begin to break down  in wine that was on its way to becoming Fino. When this happens, oxygen is allowed to come in contact with the wine, and it begins to darken, much like an apple will begin to turn brown if sliced and exposed to the air.

Rather than despairing, the cellar masters simply change course and allow the wine to age and become Amontillado, a second style of dry Sherry.

Amontillado has many of the same characteristics as Fino, but will have a fuller, richer flavor.

It is a good partner to very flavorful fish, white meats, and soups.

It will still be dry, unless you see the word medium on the label, indicating that it has been slightly sweetened.

Oloroso

After fermentation, certain batches of the base wine are not considered to be characteristic of Fino, and are designated Oloroso. These will be fortified to a higher alcohol level, 17 percent alcohol or above. At this level, flor will not develop, and these wines are aged with oxidation. They will be deep amber in color, and can be anywhere from dry to very sweet. Even dry Olorosos will often have a sweetness about them, but it doesn’t come from sugar. These wines develop a high level of glycerol as they age, and this gives a sweet perception, along with a suppleness in the mouth. Olorosos can really be quite elegant, and can pair with fine food, or be enjoyed as an aperitif.

 

Creams and Dessert Sherries

The word cream on any Sherry label will tell you that the wine has been sweetened. Pale creams are sweetened by using pure grape spirit where fermentation was stopped, allowing some of the natural sugar to remain. Other creams are sweetened by the blending in of a percentage of Moscatel or Pedro Ximénez grapes. These grapes are actually dried in the sun into raisins, and then pressed when the sugars have become highly concentrated. The result is a dark, very sweet wine that can be blended with Palomino based dry Sherries, or made into dessert wines all their own.

Any of the creams or Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez (called PX by the locals) wines are going to fall into more of a dessert wine classification, rather than a food wine like the dry Sherries. This is not to say they can’t be taken with food, but many are so sweet that finding an appropriate partner can be very difficult.

A general rule of thumb when serving wine with dessert is that the dessert should never be sweeter than the wine, and in the case of PX, this shouldn’t be a problem. These wines push the envelope on sweetness to the point that most people either love them, or can’t handle them.

They are very dark brown in color, and have a thick consistency that has been described as feeling like chocolate melting in the mouth. So thick are some PX wines, that makers recommend pouring them over ice cream, as well as drinking them.

Some recommendations:

Fino

Tio Pepe from Gonzalez Byass is aged an average of five years and is very lively and refreshing, as well as having a bit more depth to it than many Finos.

It goes well with almost all tapas, and is one of the few wines that can accompany such troublesome matches as dishes made with vinegar, eggs or artichokes. Priced in the low teens, this one’s a no-brainer.

If the bone dry attack of most Fino is more than your palate is ready for, try Williams and Humbert’s Dry Sack Medium. You get all the characteristics of Fino, but with a touch of sweetness to take the edge off.

Amontillado

One of the few Sherry producers to have holdings in all three towns of the Sherry triangle is Bodegas Emilio Lustau. Lustau offers a full range of Sherries, as well as two types of Vinagre de Jerez (Sherry vinegar) and Brandy de Jerez.

If you haven’t tried Amontillado, this is a good place to begin. A very nice dry Amontillado is Lustau’s Los Arcos. This one will seem to have a touch of sweetness due to its age, and its darker color will attest to its years spent in the cask. It is rich and robust, with a nutty character.

While it isn’t the best sipper by itself, it is a very good food wine, especially when paired with cold soups like gazpacho or salmorejo, flavorful fish, and white meats.

 

Oloroso

The older the better seems to be the mantra for this version of Sherry, with many ageing for decades before bottling. Although technically dry, the concentration of flavor components during years of ageing will lend a supple sweetness to the wine, as mentioned above.

Gonzalez Byass is the pick again, with their Oloroso Alfonso which is named after a former King of Spain. This Oloroso is toasty and spicy, with a typical caramel aroma.

It is not as nutty as some Olorosos, and can very easily share the table with game and rich foods. Served slightly chilled, it is also a nice aperitif with ham and cheeses.

If  you can find it, Harveys Rich Old Oloroso, which is possibly a century old, is one of the truly fabulous Sherry wines in existence. It is deliciously sweet, nutty and smooth, yet full and lively in the mouth. It has an extremely long finish and is just a beautiful wine. This is one to sit and contemplate.

Brian Goodell writes a weekly wine column for Morris News Service. He can be reached at brian.goodell@morris.com