Ch.2 – Sherry

Question 1

The keys points about fermentation for sherry

Answer 1

• Common for musts from diff vineyards to be fermented separately to give blending selection of base wines
• First fermentation (as opposed to flor) in big production facilities outside towns, stainless steel, cultured yeasts to guarantee ferment to dryness. 22-26C - quick/vigorous, most of sugar in 7 days, then 2 weeks for last of sugar
• Not looking for flavours
• Some producers use old barrels for fuller body
• Malo blocked - acidity low/ don’t want buttery flavours - by chilling must for biological (avoid SO2, inhibits flor)

Question 2

Sherry maximum juice yield in pressing

Answer 2

70L/ 100kg grapes

Question 3

Climate of Jerez for sherry

Answer 3

• Hot mediterranean
• Dry, hot summers - no rain July/August. SOIL important
• Mild (min 4C ) wet winters (630mm av like Oxford)
• Important cooling and humid influences of Atlantic -
  
  • Nocturnal dew cools vineyards
  • Poniente wind from west (cool and humid)
• Levante wind from the east (hot and dry) can cause rapid grape transpiration, concentrating sugars - hard to ferment wine to dryness/ also for growth of flor yeast
• Other risk is cloud-free, long sunlight hours - sunburn if not shaded enough

Question 4

Where is sherry made?

Answer 4

• in Jerez, Andalusia in South-West Spain
• Low latitude 36 degrees, low altitude 0-90m
• Grapes must come from Zona de Producción, a delimited area 7000ha. Can be used in
  
  • DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry or
  • DO Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda
• One exception: Pedro Ximénez can grow around Montilla in mountains above Malaga (still in Andalusia, but outside Zona de Producción) and matured in Zona de Crianza and still be labelled DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

Question 5

How to identify a Palo Cortado from an Amontillado?

Answer 5

• Generally will have spent less time biologically ageing than Amontillado, so
  
  • yes acetaldehyde, but less than an Amontillado
  • more glycerol than Amontillado (fuller body)
  • more ageing, more flavour concentration, fuller
• Often premium priced and v good to outstanding

Question 6

Where can wines labelled DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry be matured?

What is the one exception to this rule?

Answer 6

1. The Zona de Crianza (3 municipalities)
   
   1. Jerez de la Frontera
   2. El Puerto de Santa Maria
   3. Sanlucar de Barrameda (Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda can only be matured here, because of special microclimate. ONLY the Manzanilla is unique to S de B. Others matured here just Jerez sherry).
2. Exception is Moscatel can also be matured in Chipiona and Chiclana de Frontera

Question 7

What conditions does Flor need?

Answer 7

1. Humidity of 65% + (poniente wind, Sanlucar seaside)
2. Alcohol to feed on (max 15.5%, struggles above 16)
3. Nutrients (eg feeds on glycerol)
4. Oxygen (butts left 85-90%, loose bungs, no SO2)
5. Heat 16-20 C (not too warm)

Question 8

What is biological ageing?

Answer 8

the practice of maturing wine under a layer of flor

Question 9

Although most sherry is a non-vintage product, what is the minimum age for a bottle of sherry?

Answer 9

• minimum 2 years old

Question 10

What is The Second Classification in the sherry production process?

Answer 10

• The tasting and analysis of wines marked for biological ageing (in the First Classification) in the sobretabla stage
• Wines with full layer of flor/ that are still fresh will be classified as potential Fino or Manzanilla.
• Those slightly less delicate - pot Amontillado
• Those more full bodied/ intense - pot Palo Cortado
• The wines then enter the solera system
• (NB wines marked for oxidised ageing in the First Classification are simply stored until they enter the solera)

Question 11

How to classify as Fino or Manzanilla?

Answer 11

1. Dry ie max 5g/L residual sugar
2. Entire ageing under flor
3. Pale lemon, dry, light-med body, low acidity, low alcohol (15-15.5%)
4. Flavour profile depends on age, but likely acetaldehyde not primary fruit, bruised apple, bread dough, almonds
5. Good to outstanding, inexpensive to premium
6. Fino made in Jerez de Frontera and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Manzanilla is Fino but made in Sanlucar de Barremeda

Question 12

The history of sherry up to 1933 when Spain’s first wine related regulatory council was formed?

Answer 12

• Grapes grown/sherry traded in Phoenician times (300 BC)
• Wine consumption banned by Moors 8th-13C, but production continued.
• Rapid expansion when Jerez under Christian rule in C13th, English, Irish & Flemish traders. Free trade agreements with France & England.
• 1492: Columbus discovered America from base in Andalusia: opened up American market.
• Peninsular War (1808-14) Napoleon v Spain/UK
• Phylloxera (late 19th C)
• Yet growth popularity meant late 19th/early 20th C other countries began to make own, poor quality “sherry”

Question 13

What is Alabariza and why is it special?

Answer 13

• The main soil for sherry grapes
• a mixture of limestone, silica and clay
• the clay means it retains winter rainfall and releases gradually over the very dry growing season
• especially as it forms a crust which reduces evaporation and its light colour reflects light into canopy - ripening
• this means higher planting densities (av 70hL/ha) and yields are possible than normal unirrigated areas
• helpful that sherry grapes do not need concentrated flavours as they come from maturation process

Question 14

What is the First Classification in sherry production?

Answer 14

• Analysis of each batch of base wine to decide whether
  
  • biological ageing (lighter, less intense flavours)
  • oxidative (full bodied, concentrated
• Biological aged will be fortified to 15-15.5% (optimum for flor yeast) 95% abv grape spirit, so no flavours etc
• Oxidatively aged fortified to 17% (flor cannot survive)
• Barrels marked with chalk dash (a stick = palo) for biological, circle for oloroso. If biological ageing doesn’t work, will cross the stick = palo cortado

Question 15

What grapes are used in sherry?

Answer 15

1. 99% Palomino (aka listán)
   
   1. Used in all dry & sweetened styles
   2. Mid-late ripening, likes dry, sun. Large yields.
   3. low acid, q neutral
2. <1% Moscatel (Muscat of Alexandria),
   
   1. round coastal Chiponia on sandy arenas soils
   2. late ripening, likes heat & drought. Aromatic/ grape and blossom
3. <1% Pedro Ximénez (PX)
   
   1. Small, high sugar, thin-skinned (so ideal to dry in sun to further concentrate sugar)
   2. Neutral flavour
   3. Can be grown in Montilla district in Córdoba and brought into Zona de Producción as grapes or more likely young wine.

Question 16

What is the solera system?

Answer 16

• A method of fractional blending to maintain quality and consistency year after year
• Comprises barrels grouped in sections called criadera
• Each criadera comprises barrels/butts the of same age (and different age to another criadera
• the criadera of the oldest wine is called the solera
• the next oldest is the 1st criadera
• the next oldest to the 1st is the 2nd criadera etc

Question 17

When was Spain’s first wine related regulatory council formed and what is called?

Answer 17

1933

the Consejo Regulador

Question 18

Describe the process of the solera system

Answer 18

1. Some (up to 40%) wine taken from each barrel (butt) in the solera (oldest group of barrels)
2. Same amount taken from each in 1st criadera, blended in tank for consistency and then used to top up solera. So younger wines from 1stC blended with older in solera.
3. Process continues back up through the criadera until barrels in youngest criadera topped up from wine in the sobretablas.

Question 19

Why is it important to clarify the must for sherry before fermentation?

How is it done?

Answer 19

• Because albarizo soil is dusty
• By cold settling, centrifugation or flotation

Question 20

How are sherries finished?

Answer 20

1. Tartrate stabilised (often contact process - seeding crystals)
2. Fined
3. Filtered - even en rama (crucial remove flor yeast in bio-aged sherries or could re-start once bottle opened/ O2)
4. All sherries must be packaged and sealed (driven cork, cork stoppers/ screw cap) within the three sherry towns (“sherry triangle”)

Question 21

What is sobretabla?

Answer 21

• The “waiting room” for fortified wines for sherry after First Classification and before they enter the solera system.
• Wines marked for olorosos (oxidative aging) may remain in tanks or be transferred to wooden barrels ready to enter the solera system.
• Those marked for biological ageing are transferred to wooden barrels for a few months and then tasted and analysed in the Second Classification.

Question 22

Why does a solera system always retain most of its wine?

Answer 22

• No more than 40% of the wine from one solera system can be removed for blending and bottling each calendar year

Question 23

Apart from style and quality, what other important function do young wines have in the solera system for biologically aged wines?

Answer 23

• Young wines in the sobretabla are rich in alcohol, glycerol and acetic acid which feed the flor
• Young wines blended into older criadera refresh nutrients and keep flor alive
  
  • So Fino & Manzanilla solera remove less wine more frequently
  • Also means can supply wine to demand: wine is fresher at POS:
    
    • important as these wines do not benefit from further ageing/ should be consumed fresh

Question 24

What is the Zona de Producción (aka Marco de Jerez)?

Answer 24

• The delimited 6989ha within which all sherry grapes must be grown except PX
• Split into two
  
  • Jerez Superior (90% of plantings, better sites all on albariza soil)
  • Jerez Zona
• Vineyards of Jerez Superior subdivided into areas called pagos, according to aspect, location, soil etc
• Currently discussing legislation to allow pagos on labels

Question 25

What affect does flor have on wine?

Answer 25

1. Protects wine from oxidation (remain pale lemon colour)
2. Flor consumes alcohol and releases acetaldehyde (bruised apple, hay, chamomile, slightly bitter)
3. Consumes glycerol (gives body/ slight sweetness)
   
   1. giving lighter body
   2. contributes to very dry nature of bio aged sherry
4. Reduces levels of acetic acid (the vinegary one)
5. Nature of the flor (4 diff yeast strains) changes from bodegas / region etc
6. Over time flor yeast reproduces/dies and dead cells sink - cause autolysis. Can give savoury nutty flavours/ enhance texture
7. Other aroma compounds form from bio aging due ro reactions of alcohols, acids and acetaldehyde

Question 26

Define Palo Cortado

Answer 26

• Most difficult!
• must have “aromas similar to Amontillado, but palate more similar to Oloroso, as a consequence of its oxidative ageing once the film of flor has disappeared”
• Sugar under 5g/L, abv 17-22%, but otherwise no stipulations.
• Commonly Finos less delicate/more complex/ at Second Classification, less able to support flor so a little oxidised already, spend few yrs in Fino solera then put into Palo Cortado solera.

Question 27

Sherry: what is the effect of oxidative ageing?

Answer 27

• Wines change from lemon-gold-amber-brown
• Levels of alcohol increase est 3-5% vol evaporates each yr as water lost quicker than ethanol
  
  • Also concentrates glycerol (rounder, fuller body), aromas and flavours (evolve from primary to tertiary oxidative caramel and nuts.
  • Acetaldehyde decreases, but acetic and ethyl acetate (volatile acidity) rises slightly
• (NB in biological ageing flor consumes alcohol quicker than evaporation, so alcohol actually decreases)

Question 28

What is Manzanilla Pasada?

Answer 28

• A Manzanilla subject to a short period of oxidative ageing
  
  • flor left to die by not feeding yeast with young wine
  • may enter Manzanilla Pasada solera system
• On av a couple of years older than Manzanilla, but more than that becomes like Amontillado

Question 29

What is Manzanilla de Sanlùcar de Barremeda?

Answer 29

• Fino matured in coastal municipality of Sanlùcar de Barremeda.
• Close to Atlantic, so not extreme summers/winters and constant humidity - ideal for flor
  
  • flor layers thicker here than Jerez de Frontera and El Puerto de Santa Maria
  • flor constant & thicker all year round
  • NB does not result in higher acetaldehyde levels as flor strain not same as in J de F
• The greater flor thickness means more protection from O2 and lower acetaldehyde = taste fresher and lighter than Finos
• Fresher taste also because Manzanilla solera systems thicker flor, needs more regular replenishing with young wines, and is released more frequently throughout year

Question 30

Pressing in sherry: how do they use all the juice?

Answer 30

• Phenolic compounds inhibit flor, so min skin contact
• Free-run/ first press (primera yema) - Fino/ Manzanilla
  
  • 60-75% of juice yield
• 2nd press - Oloroso (producers eg Fundador who specialise in Oloroso will use some primera yema)
• Final press - other products like seasoning barrels

Question 31

Risks, pests and diseases in sherry

Answer 31

• Limestone soils = chlorosis (remedy is 333EM, 13-5 EVEX v. vinifera/ v berlandieri rootstocks)
• Drought (rootstocks above, aserpia (troughs), albariza)
• Sunburn
• Very dry, so little disease, but mildew in humid spring
• Frost not an issue due to moderating Atlantic & warm climate.
• European Grapevine moth - remedy phermone traps
• Autumn rain (so pick asap)
• Hot harvest - oxidation, microbial spoilage - so 60% harvested by machine at night/ early hours
• Levante wind from the east (hot and dry) can cause rapid grape transpiration, concentrating sugars - hard to ferment wine to dryness/ also for growth of flor yeast

Question 32

Describe the conditions of sherry maturation

Answer 32

• Old wooden vessels. Us 600L butts, us American oak (historical, but cheaper than French). Old - no flavours
• Bodegas designed for optimum conditions for flor w/o modern aircon. High ceilings, warm air rises, butts stacked 3-4 high for access. Often spread out, sep buildings so don’t lose whole solera if accident.
• Small windows orientated to allow damp S-W Atlantic winds, raise humidity, lower temp. Windows thin blinds to difffuse sunlight, stop dusts/insects. Earth floors often wet during summer (cool/humid).
• Yet still might not maintain flor throughout winter

Question 33

The Consejo Regulador prescribes attributes for styles of sherry. Generally what are these?

Answer 33

• level of residual sugar
• typical alcohol level
• colour
• flavour and aroma characteristics in line with style of aging

Question 34

What is flor?

Answer 34

• Four strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts
• Found on skins of grapes in Jerez region, also in Bodegas where sherry matured
• In correct conditions, layer of flor yeast naturally forms on surface of young wine

Question 35

Sherry maximum yield in vineyard

Answer 35

80hL/ha (av 60 hL/ha)

Question 36

Define Amontillado

Answer 36

• Must have attributes of both biological and oxidative ageing
  
  • begin in Fino solera, re-fortified to 17% to kill flor
  • matured oxidatively in solera system
• Less pricey Amontillado use young Fino, and not long oxidatively in Amontillado solera either.
• Expensive Amontillado matured longer/ more complex
• Good-outstanding quality, mid-super premium price

Question 37

Must wine in the solera system always be taken from the solera (oldest criadera)?

Answer 37

• No. Blending is allowed for reasons of style and price (maturing wine is expensive)
  
  • eg inexpensive Fino 4th & 5th criaderas, with bit from 1st criadera for complexity
  • or premium Fino mainly from solera and 1st C, but younger 5th added for freshness
• Can also blend diff solera systems in final blending or wine from one solera into another for further maturation
  
  • eg wine for Amontillado 5 years in Fino solera system then 8 years in Amontillado solera system

Question 38

The history of sherry from the Second World War to date

Answer 38

• Sales reached their peak in 1970s (1.5m hL in 1979)
• Halved in 1980s as consumers sought new wine styles
• Left surplus of cheap sherry of indifferent quality
• Ruiz Mateos SA aka Rumasa - an almacenista (wine storage) began shipping own sherry in 1950, supplied Harveys (esp Bristol Cream) - huge account. Built empire, taking over Sherry bodegas (wine companies), hotels, banks. Dominated sherry in 1970s and drove down prices, damaging sherry for decades.
• 1983 govt nationalised Rumasa for unpaid taxes, sold its sherry bodegas = unemployment, social unrest.
• Other sherry cos merged/ closed as loads of surplus cheap sherry on market. Brands changed hands many times.
• Since then the Consejo Regulador has worked to bring vineyard plantings, stock levels and sales back into balance, promoting quality of sherry.

Question 39

Widely used rootstocks in Sherry and why?

Answer 39

• V vinifera - V berlandieri hybrids 333EM, 41-B and 13-5 EVEX
• 13-5 EVEX developed locally
  
  • tolerant of drought and limestone soils (no chlorosis) and good yields

Question 40

In what way are sherry vineyards being transformed?

Answer 40

Pruning, harvesting and soil management all being mechanised

1. Replacement cane “vara y pulgar” becoming single/double cordon and spur-pruned
2. VSP trellising keeps canopy open (some shading v sunburn), between row-spacing allows tractors
3. Vineyards on 10-15% gradient albariza slopes. Troughs across the slope in soil “aserpia” system collect rainwater. Was v labour intensive: now mechanised.

Question 41

Define Oloroso (“scented”)

Answer 41

• A dry sherry with attributes of oxidative ageing
• After fermentation fortified to 17% to stop flor
• Brown in colour, tertiary, oxidative aromas of toffee and walnut.
• Less expensive released earlier than expensive, higher quality, which are often v good/ outstanding and premium priced.

Question 42

What are the soils for sherry?

Answer 42

1. Albariza (limestone, silica and clay) MAIN SOIL
2. Barros (clay)
3. Arenas (sand)

Question 43

What are the styles of sweet sherry?

Answer 43

• NATURALLY sweet
  
  • PX
  • Moscatel (usually blended)
• SWEETENED
  
  • Dry fermented, fortified Palomino sweetened with RCGM or blended with PX/Moscatel
    
    • Pale cream (bio + RCGM)
    • Medium (bio and oxidative)
    • Cream (only oxidative)

Question 44

How is naturally sweet sherry made?

Answer 44

• PX and Moscatel
• Post harvest grapes dry in sun 2-3 weeks, concentrating sugar levels/ raisiny.
• Fermentation stops at 4-6% abv as v high sugars
• Fortified to 15-16% abv
• Matured oxidatively in own solera systems - gradual evap means further concentration.

Question 45

Describe single varietal PX

Answer 45

• Naturally sweet sherry
• Most sherry producers make one
• Dried in sun 2-3 wks, ferment stops at 4-6% due to sugar, fortified to 15-16%, matured oxidatively in own solera (age & evaporation = further concentration
• Min resid sugar 212 g/L (usual 450-550 g/L)
• Full-bodied, syrup consistency, low acid, pronounced aromas/flavours of raisin, molasses and liquorice
• Range from cheap to expensive, good to outstanding

Question 46

Describe single variety Moscatel sherry

Answer 46

• Naturally sweet sherry
• Rarely made (usually blended)
• Dried in sun 2-3 wks, ferment stops at 4-6% due to sugar, fortified to 15-16%, matured oxidatively in own solera (age & evaporation = further concentration
• Min resid sugar 160 g/L (usual 325-375 g/L)
• Can be made in non-oxidative or oxidative style (the latter aged several years in barrels)
• Both styles show moscatel’s aromatic nature to a degree
• Range from cheap to expensive, good to outstanding
• Used as blending component in sweetened sherry

Question 47

How are sweetened sherries made?

Answer 47

• From Palomino that has been fermented dry, fortified, aged and then sweetened with a sweetening component.
• Cheap ones from young wines sweetened just before bottling. Mid-priced/premium may be sweetened then aged in own solera system
  
  • eg Gonzalez Byass’ Matusalem VORS Cream Sherry blends 15 yr old dry and sweet Sherries, then ages it a further 15 yrs in own solera system.

Question 48

Describe Pale Cream Sherry

Answer 48

• Pale Cream
  
  • sweetened sherry
  • biological ageing before sweetened with RCGM (rectified concentrated grape must) as does not add colour/flavours of its own, though dilutes some of flor characteristics.
  • subtle character. Not aged long.
  • Med-sweet to sweet, inexpensive, acceptable to good.
  • eg Croft Original

Question 49

Describe Medium Sherry

Answer 49

• Medium must show bio and oxidative characters
• usually blended with PX for sweetening
• From off-dry to sweet
• Acceptable to outstanding
• Inexpensive to Premium
• Cheaper = from young wines. Premium will have high proportion of mature Amontillado, Oloroso & PX

Question 50

Describe Cream Sherry

Answer 50

• Only oxidative characters
• usually blended with PX for sweetening
• Always sweet (eg Bristol Cream)
• Acceptable to outstanding
• Inexpensive to Premium
• Cheaper = from young wines. Premium will have high proportion of mature Oloroso & PX

Question 51

What categories denote Sherries aged for a long time?

Answer 51

1. VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum/ Very Old Sherry av age 20yrs +
2. VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum/ Very Old Rare Sherry) 30ys +
3. 12 & 15 yr old Sherries

• only Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso & PX eligible
• typicity assessed by tasting panel & (eg carbon-14) age testing
  
  • VO(R)S Every batch from Bodega assessed
  • 12-15 only assessed annually
• can blend little PX to soften astringency as long as does not mask dry
• v small quantities, v good/outstanding = (super) premium

Question 52

The size and ownership of vineyards for Sherry

Answer 52

• Zona de Producción total vineyards 7000 ha 2016
• av holding small (under 3ha)
• Co-op members own 42% (3000 ha)
• Independent growers 28% (1950 ha)
• Shippers 30% (2100 ha)
  
  • eg Gonzalez Byass, Barbadillo, the Estevez Group - large holdings but still need buy from independents

Question 53

What three categories of company are there in the production of Sherry?

Answer 53

1. Bodegas de la Zona de Produccion - Production Bodega. Large co-ops, make base wine. Can be independent - will sell base wine to almacenistas. May sell own wines, but don’t qualify for DO Jerez or DO Manzanilla
2. Bodegas de Crianza y Almacenado - Ageing & Storage Bodega aka almacenistas. Mature wines. Must be in Zona de Crianza, tend to be small. Must sell wines to Bodegas de Crainza y Expedición.
3. Bodegas de Crianza y Expedición - Ageing & Shipping Bodega aka shippers only register allowed to export/sell DO Jerez-Xerez-Sherry or DO Manzanilla - Sanlucar de Barrameda. Must have minimum stock holding. Must be in Zona de Crianza. Can also mature wines either from production bodegas or almacenistas. Can blend with own wines for volume or complexity. Us sell under shipper’s brand names.

Question 54

What is unusual about Lustau’s almacenista’s range

Answer 54

It features wines by individual almacenistas and includes their name on the label (unusual for a shipper)

Question 55

Why have almacenistas suffered?

Answer 55

• Decline in Sherry sales meant shippers survived using own stocks, not needing extra wine from almacenistas, many of whom went out of business.
• in 1996 the Consejo Regulador lowered min stockholding for companies to register as a shipper from 12500hL to 500hL, allowing bigger almacenistas eg El Maestro Sierra and Bodegas Tradición to market own wines.

Question 56

What is the role of the Consejo Regulador?

Answer 56

• maintains all vineyard registers
• sets max yields, min alcohol for base wines
• oversees stock rotation in bodegas, verifies authenticity of age related stock
• promotes sherry, organising events eg International Sherry Week, runs educational programmes
• got Sherry to be used in EU only for wines of DO Jerez-X-S & DO Manzanilla -SdeB (instead of generic term for fortified wine from white grapes)
• sets wine legislation and labelling terms

Question 57

Sherry sales by style

Answer 57

• 4 decades of decline:
  
  • 2016 34m litres 2006 56m late ’70s 150m
• Sweetened biggest category
  
  • Cream Sherries from 12.5m 2006 to 7.4m 2016
  • Medium 11.8m to 7.2m
  • Pale Cream 4.1m to 2.5m (97% to UK!)
• Fino 14m 2006 to 7.6m 2016
• Manzanilla most stable 8.5m to 7.1m (domestic favourite)
• Palo Cortado/ PX small, but profitable

Question 58

Sherry sales by market

Answer 58

• Spain 12m litres 2016 stable last 5 yrs (Manzanilla/ Fino)
• All export markets show gradual decline in past 10yrs
  
  • UK 9.9m (majority sweetened)
  • Holland 5.7m
  • Germany 2.3m
  • USA 1.2m
• Yet premium-priced sales in UK (& others) increasing, esp hospitality (tapas bars, Sherry in cocktails), younger drinkers.
• Unfortified styles of Palomino and PX appearing - fresh, youthful, bio, partially oxidative to attract new custom.