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Get To Know Sherry Wine
Are you a fan of Sherry wine? Do you know how many different types of Sherry there are? Or what it means to be a fortified wine? When a wine is fortified all it means is that alcohol spirits are added to the juice during or after fermentation to stop sugars from being converted to more alcohol. In the process of making Sherry, grape spirits are added while fermentation is happening. After this process the Sherry is divided into two categories, Fino Sherry and Oloroso Sherry and from there they are divided into more types of Sherry.
Sherries are made from only three grapes each of which impart a Sherry's unique qualities. The Palomino grape is used as the base wine for all types of Sherry, Pedro Ximenez is used for its sweet flavors and Moscatel is used as a coloring agent and gives Sherry its golden to dark amber colors. From there the juice is tasted by professional tasters to determine the quality of the Sherry. The best juice is selected fo Fino Sherry and the rest goes to make Olorosos.
The finest types of Sherry are the Fino Sherries. Fino Sherry is made solely from the Palomino grape. It gets its flavor and aromas from the yeast it is fermented in along with controlled oxidation, or controlled exposure to oxygen. Fino Sherry is the least acidic of the Sherries with a pleasant taste of roasted almonds.
Manzanilla Sherry is another type of Sherry in the Fino category. It is characterized by the presence of the yeast S. Beticus, which imparts a salted almond flavor. Manzanilla Sherries mature in direct contact with the air for short periods of time to achieve their color and flavor.
Amontillado Sherry is the last of the Fino types of Sherry. However, it starts to move away from the Fino category as it matures in the open air, deepening in color and taking on a more maderized flavor of roasted hazelnuts. These types of Sherry are sweetened with either vino dulce (a sweetener made from sun-dried Palomino grapes) or dulce de almibar (pure sugar).
Free-run juice is separated from the pressed juice to make Finos, the pressed juice is used for Oloroso production. These are still terrific Sherries all in themselves and should not be seen as inferior.
Olorosos are directly exposed to oxygen to mature. The open exposure in turn ages the Oloroso faster making it a bit rougher on the palate than a smooth Fino. The dark brown coloring it achieves from being baked in the sun imparts a higher alcohol level, fuller body and more intense aromas with flavors of toasted pecans.
Palo-Cortado is the last of the types of Sherry. Its characteristics are all over the board in terms of classification. In aroma one is reminded of Amontillado, but its color and taste has all the resemblance to an Oloroso. Its production puts it somewhere in betweeen Fino and Oloroso but as it is an unstable process the juice usually degrades into the Oloroso style.
About the Author If you would like to learn more about Sherry Wine you can find more on the subject and the different types of Sherry at the author's website, Learn About Wine.
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