Sherry wine is the fortified wine, made only in the Sherry Triangle region specific area located in and around the town of Jerez in Spain. It is usually made from the Palomino Fino grape. According to Spanish law the wine is said to be sherry only if it comes from the sherry triangle, which is an area in the province of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. The sherry wines contain alcohol around 15-18% which is more than table wines. The sherry is known for its fortification process. Once the fermentation process is completed the sherry is first fortified with brandy up to a considered level where the yeast used in the fermentation process stops growing and do not affect the wine. The dry fortified wine is formed, the sweetness can be added after this process.
There are different types of sherry wines. They are, Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Pale Cream, Medium, Cream, Moscatel, and Pedro Ximenez.
Fino: Fino is made from palomino grapes. It is golden or straw coloured wine .It is dry and light bodied .It contains alcohol around 15%.It is the most consumed sherry wine type as it is similar to white wine. It contains high alcohol content compared to white wine with the tinge of roasted almonds. It is recommended to serve chill.
Oloroso: Oloroso is also made from palomino grape. The alcohol content varies from 17% to 22%. Oloroso are dark and rich and amber to mahogany in colour. It has strong nutty aroma. It can be served at 12- 14oC. It goes well with nuts, olives or figs, red meats, or after a meal with rich cheese.
Manzanilla: A dry, bright, straw coloured wine. It is similar to Fino sherry wine made in Sanlucar and it pairs excellently with sea foods.
Amontillado: It contains characteristics of both Fino and Oloroso. This is a golden amber colour with a dry but nutty taste. It pairs well with poultry, cheese and oily fishes.
Cream: It is full bodied and velvety in the mouth. A sweet and mahogany coloured wine made from Oloroso. It contains alcohol around 15 to 22%.
Pedro Ximenez: It is a sweet wine made from sun-dried Pedro Ximenez grapes. It is dark mahogany wine, full bodied and perfectly balanced wine type. It has extremely rich aromas of honey, grape syrup, jam and candied fruit.