Whether you’re already a committed zealot looking for your next fix or wondering where to begin on your voyage of fortified discovery, take the advice of our expert to experience 20 of the most exquisite and appetising Sherry bottlings currently to be found
Sherry’s most dramatic moment takes place every other year in Jerez. Top chefs from seven countries, many of them from Michelin-starred establishments, compete to create beautiful three-course menus while squeezed into the most difficult of spaces – the stage of the Villamarta theatre.
Under the proscenium arch, they present their dishes to the judges, while their sommelier partners serve three chosen Sherries and explain the matches. From my own experience in 2019 as a judge at Copa Jerez, I can say it is a delicious task. On that occasion, the winning Danish team paired an unlikely dessert of caramelised banana ice cream with liquorice, olive oil and a coffee sauce, with VOS Pedro Ximénez from Bodegas Tradición. It was a sensation.
Denmark won again in October 2023, and deservedly so – the triumphant team paired its starter of poached prawns with beurre blanc vinegar and marinated rye bread, green celery, sea lettuce and sisho with Bodegas Barón’s Soluqua Manzanilla (£25.95 Worsley Fine Wines).
During the event, outside the theatre it is party time. Sherry bodegas large and small pour wines and the Sherry trade mills about, gossiping and glad-handing. When you’re there, it’s hard to imagine that Sherry has been living through decades of decline. Copa Jerez, this theatrical display, plus the conference and winery visits that surround it, has established itself as one of the pillars rebuilding the image of Sherry.
I’m enthusiastic about signs of growth for Sherry. Much of the inspiration, rule-breaking and creativity comes from the outliers and the small businesses. The big brands have caught up with the message and are following through with their own innovations.
EMBRACING THE NEW
Sherry still retains its classic categories: biologically aged, or oxidatively; young or with many years of age; every gradation from bone dry to intensely sweet. However there have been significant changes. The Sherry ageing area has grown from a ‘triangle’ of towns to more of a cube. More grape varieties are being added or reinstated. Important is the revival of vinos de pasto. These are literally wines to enjoy with food. They are unfortified, they emphasise their terroir origin, and they may have a short time under flor – the best are fine wines in their own right, and a good introduction to Sherry.
My selection in the pages that follow is of Sherries – vinos de past
