Facts about sherry Flashcards
Sherry in Phoenician
Xera
Sherry in Roman
Ceret
Sherry in Arabic
Sherish
Sherry in Ancient Castillian
Xerez
Sherry in Modern Castillian
Jerez
Sherry in English
Sherry
Roman name for wines of Jerez
Vinum Ceretensis
French name for sherry
Xérès / Xeres
Name of Jerez DO
Jerez-Xérèz-Sherry
Spanish for the whole sherry region
Marco de Jerez
Spanish for the regulatory board
Consejo Regulador
Spanish for winery that can bottle and market under DO
Bodegas de Crianza y Expedición
(Was minimum 2,500 hectoliters in permanent inventory, now 250hl; can produce and age—but also sell in bottles—wines under their own brands)
Spanish for winery that cannot bottle/market under DO
Bodegas de Crianza y Almacenado (almacenistas)
(only 500 hectoliters in permanent inventory was required, now 250hl same as Expedition; can produce and age but cannot sell bottled sherry)
Spanish for a plot of vineyard land with distinct characteristics
pago
The ten municipalities in the Marco de Jerez from north to south
Lebrija
Trebujena
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Chipiona
Jerez de la Frontera
Rota
San José del Valle
El Puerto de Santa María
Puerto Real
Chiclana de la Frontera
Where is irrigation prohibited?
DO vineyards
Name of prevailing west wind and characteristics
poniente - cold strong humid (can reach 95%)
(In summer often occurs at night bringing dew which waters the vines)
Name of prevailing east wind and characteristics
levante - hot strong dry (~30% humidity)
Main soil type
albariza
(white chalk)
Four subtypes of albariza (named in CSWS manual - there are others)
tejón (tajón)
barajuelas
tosca cerrada
lentejuelas
(not in CSWS: parda, lustrillo)
Characteristics of albariza subtype:
tejón
hardest, most compact
up to 80% active limestone
deep in the soil (few vineyards planted on it, risk of chlorosis)
Characteristics of albariza subtype:
barajuelas
high limestone purity
diatoms
layered structure facilitates root development
(lightest, most diatoms, high elevation, name from Spanish ‘baraja’ = pack of cards, for long ageing wines)
Limestone percentage and other soils of albariza subtype:
tosca cerrada
60% limestone mixed with clay and sand
(most common, heavier, more compact, fewer diatoms, ‘melts’ when wet, versatile)
Limestone percentage and other soils of albariza subtype:
lentejuelas
50% limestone mixed with clay and sand
(soft and fluffy, close to ocean, diatoms, biologically aged wines)
The two soil types other than albariza
barros (clay)
arenas (sand)
Characteristics of barros soil (elevation; colour; suitability for grapevines; composition)
lower areas of hills and riverbeds
dark grayish-brown
very fertile but poor moisture retention so difficult to cultivate vines
60% to 80% clay and sand
Characteristics of arenas soil (where; composition; suitability for grapevines)
coastal areas
sand with clay and up to 20% limestone
almost exclusively moscatel de Alejandría (locally moscatel de Chipiona)
(Can often plant on own rootstock - pie franco, free-footed - as phylloxera does not thrive in sandy soil)
Palomino de Jerez / basto is in decline, and palomino fino is on the up. Both are authorised grapes.
What is another name for palomino fino?
listán blanco (in Sanlúcar)
Authorised grape varieties for a) sherry and b) manzanilla
Sherry:
palomino de Jerez / basto
palomino fino
pedro ximénez
moscatel de Alejandría
beba
perruno
vigiriega
Manzanilla:
listán / listán blanco (palomino fino)
Shape of palomino clusters and berries; berry skin thickness
cylindroconical
spherical
thin
When palomino fino buds and ripens
buds: last two weeks of March
ripens: mid-August to early September
Local name for moscatel
Moscatel de Chipiona
Spanish for traditional raisining
asoleo
Spanish for sites used for raisining
paseras
(or pasiles)
Three authorised pre-phylloxera grape varieties
perruno
beba
vigiriega
Characteristics of perruno (when ripe; how vigorous; cluster shape; berry shape and skin thickness; wine body and alcohol; usual sherry style)
late ripening
vigorous
medium long and slightly compact
discoid berries
thick-skinned
full-bodied wine
low alcohol
light and oxidative sherry
Characteristics of beba (when ripe; when bud break; how vigorous; clusters; skin thickness; winemaking)
late ripening
early bud break and flowering
loose clusters
thin skin
long sundrying for quality raisins
Characteristics of vigiriega (how vigorous; clusters; berries; sherry style)
vigorous and high producing
medium sized bunches
large, loose, pale green, round berries
finos and high end wines, not aromatic with green & citrus fruit flavours
Spanish for rows of vines
liños / líneos
(typically 2.3m apart, with vines spaced at half that distance)
Usual orientation of rows of vines and why
north-south for maximum sunlight
(Although The Book of Sherry Wines contradicts this, saying a) downslope or b) east-west to protect from sun)
Spanish for soil tillage
aserpiado
Two names for the traditional pruning method
vara y pulgar (stick and thumb)
poda jerezana
Modern pruning method for mechanisation
doble cordón (double cordon)
Spanish for arms of a vine
brazos
(Formed from the trunk in vara y pulgar / poda jerezana pruning)
Spanish for stick and thumb pruning
Vara y Pulgar
Spanish for fertilizing and root pruning (and its purpose)
desbragado
Unearthing and cutting roots that have grown in the top 15cm of soil, to stop them seeking surface moisture and go deep.
Spanish for pruning
poda
Spanish for the practice of managing the albariza to conserve water
Aserpiado
Two Spanish words for the backed-up albarizo soil into pools
aserpia (or serpia)
alumbra
Spanish words for green pruning and re-pruning
castra y recastra
(after flowering, to remove unproductive sprouts)
Two Spanish names for first press, and also the wines made from it
mosto yema / primera yema
fino manzanilla amontillado
Spanish for second press and wines made from it
segundo pie (in traditional lagar) / segunda yema (in modern press)
oloroso
Spanish for third and fourth press and uses of it
prensas
distillation and vinegar
Spanish for settling out solid particles
desfangado
Spanish for fermenting must used to inoculate the fermentation
pie de cuba
Name of first phase of fermentation in English
tumultuous fermentation
(takes a few days to a week; converts nearly 95% of original sugar to alcohol)
Name of second phase of fermentation in English
slow fermentation
(at least two months, musts are transferred to non-temperature-controlled tanks. No malolactic conversion - palomino is already low acid)
Spanish names for the finished base wine drunk in the region, the countryside taverns where that happens, and in which months
mosto (must)
ventas
Jan-Mar
Spanish for fortification
encabezado
Spanish for half aged wine and half alcohol used in fortification
mitad y mitad
(or miteado)
(some bodegas add unblended alcohol at low temperature instead of half and half)
Spanish for the period between fortification and ageing
sobretablas
divided into:
sobretabla olorosa (for oloroso unless defective)
sobretabla fina (not oloroso)
(sobretablas literally means ‘on wood’ in clean casks, as opposed to the tartrate crystals encrusting traditional wooden fermentation butts)
There is only one harvest per year, but running the scales happens several times a year, so a stock of wine from the last harvest is needed to ensure the criaderas can always be topped up.
Give examples of the language of chalk
palo (stick) / indicates biological ageing
add palmas (curved line on upper part of palo) to indicate higher quality
palo cortado cuts the stick - halt biological ageing with more alcohol
circles for amontillado/oloroso
Type of press used for asoleo raisins (in English)
vertical presses
(after softly breaking the grapes, and initial more gentle pressing in horizontal pneumatic presses)
Name of moscatel wine made from asoleo raisins
sun dried is moscatel pasa
(late harvest is moscatel dorado, golden moscatel)
Eleven Spanish names for barrels (listed in the CSWS manual - there are others)
Ageing barrels (according to The Book of Sherry Wines):
botas gordas (600L)
Other sizes:
arrobas (1@ = 16.6L… except in Sanlúcar)
cuarterones (125L, cuarta de bota)
medias botas (half cask, 250L)
botas largas (500L)
botas cortas (500L)
botas bodegueras (566L, but CSWS says 600L)
bocoyes (700L)
toneletes (700-800L)
toneles (~900L, 800 to 2,000L)
barriles (any)
Spanish for the natural absorption of wine by a barrel
envinado
Are new barrels used in ageing quality wine?
never
What are new barrels used for?
ageing distilled spirits
(or prepared for use in a sobretabla by fermenting prensas in them)
When were the special buildings for ageing sherry built?
late 18th and throughout 19th centuries
Name of tall wineries (in English)
cathedral wineries
Spanish for coarse grass used for shades in wineries
esparto
Spanish name of wet porous material used to pave wineries and maintain the humidity required by flor (especially inland)
albero
Spanish name for cellar master
capataz (plural: capataces)
Name of escala containing most-aged wine
solera
(from Spanish suelo, floor, where conditions are best for maintaining flor - in biologically aged wine - that is mature and nutrient-depleted)
Spanish for solera system in Jerez
soleraje
(used in more than 99% of wine by volume in the DOs)
Also: Criaderas y solera
In Sanlúcar: sistema de clases
Where the solera is the 1st class
the 1st criadera the 2nd class
Etc
Name of escalas not containing most-aged wines
criaderas
Spanish for extracting wine in escalas
saca
(from sacar, to take out)
Spanish for replenishing wine in escalas
rocío
(literally: dew.
Every cask’s saca is distributed equally across all the casks in the next criadera. Traditionally by jug and tracked by chalk marks. Now by homogenising in a service tank.)
Spanish for running the scales (performing saca and rocio)
correr escalas
Spanish for fine deposits that accumulate at the bottom of the barrel over the years
cabezuelas
Spanish for average age
vejez media
Spanish for veil of flor
velo de flor
(takes a few weeks to develop complete coverage)
Which town makes fino/manzanilla with the highest SO2?
Sanlúcar (38 mg/L vs 11-13 elsewhere)
Which town makes fino/manzanilla with the highest glycerin?
Jerez (2.3 g/L vs 0.5 - 1 elsewhere)
Which has the higher volatile acidity: fino or oloroso?
oloroso (up to 0.8 g/L vs 0.2)
Which has the higher glycerine: fino or oloroso?
oloroso (7-9 g/L vs 0-2 in fino
(Amontillado 3-5, palo cortado 7-9)
Oxford Companion: glycerine is present in most (non-sherry) wines at about 4-6 g/L, up to 10 g/L in botrytised wines)
Some Spanish terms for sherry blends
cabeceos
vinos generosos de licor
generosos de licor
Spanish term for dry sherry wine
vino generoso
Spanish term for sweet wine
vino dulce natural
What does VOS stand for (two versions)?
Vinum Optimum Signatum (wine selected as optimal) or Very Old Sherry
What does VORS stand for (two versions)?
Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum (wine selected as optimal and exceptional) or Very Old Rare Sherry
What types of sherry are eligible for VOS/VORS?
amontillado
palo cortado
oloroso
blends
sweet wines
(not fino or manzanilla)
Spanish for ‘sampling’ (from barrel)
venenciado
Essential to ensure that one faulty cask does not affect all casks in the next criadera
Name for fino aged at least 7 years in the solera and criaderas system
Fino viejo
Name for manzanilla aged at least 7 years in the solera and criaderas system
manzanilla pasada
Name of sweet sherry wine made from palomino grape or a blend
dulce
(rarely made)
Spanish name for blending dry and sweet sherry wines
cabeceo
Three types of criteria for classification of vineyard as Jerez Superior
climatic
orographic
geological
Spanish term defined as:
Row: Arrangement of a row of butts placed contiguously, one-deep, and with their long axis horizontal, with other superimposed rows whose butts rest in the angles between the butts in the layer below
Andana
(NB: three or four stacked rows of butts is still one andana)
Spanish term defined as:
Vintage. derived entirely from grapes from one single harvest.
Añada
(effectively a sobretabla that never enters a criadera; because of merma each batch must be reconditioned to fewer casks over time)
Spanish term defined as:
Winery workman who carries out the operations of moving and storing butts, as well as drawing off wine and other procedures involved in crianza
Arrumbador
Spanish term defined as:
To blend (blending). The operation of blending musts or wines, or of blending these with grape alcohol.
Cabecear (cabeceo)
Spanish for racking
Deslío
Spanish term for sherry wines that have been bottled with a subtle, light filtration
En Rama
A type of palo cortado, especially smooth and glyceric on the palate
Pata de Gallina
(‘Hen’s foot’ after the chalk mark placed on butts that display above average richness and smoothness, due to high levels of glycerol.)
Name of symbol used to identify first class base wines that will be eventually aged as a biological wine
Raya
(Raya is a confusing word, centuries old. In this particular CSWS context it refers to the chalk mark. But in other contexts it means a coarse oloroso wine. This point was clarified by our tutor, referencing The Book of Sherry Wines by César Saldaña (President of the DO) which contains both definitions)
Spanish term defined as:
Refreshing. An essential operation of the crianza process: a portion of wine of the same type, but younger than that which they contain, is added to a criadera or solera
Rocío
Spanish term defined as:
Must of the best quality, obtained by treading
Yema
Spanish term for:
Doing inventory to check the amount of wine inside the casks
aspillado
How is official PDO certification is indicated on bottles of qualified wines? (Two options)
a) the appropriate seal of guarantee
or
b) the inclusion of the Consejo Regulador’s numbered logo on the label
Who is responsible for verifying wineries’ compliance with PDO specifications?
An autonomous foundation
(legally distinct from the Consejo Regulador, overseen by regional and national government bodies, as a result of EU law that operators cannot mark their own homework)
The Marco de Jerez wine region is northwest of which Spanish province?
Cádiz
Name the two DOs in the Marco de Jerez
Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Who do almacenistas sell wine to? (Two options)
in bulk to the locals
or
supply exporters with their stocks
In 2022, how many wineries were formally registered as almacenistas, and where were they (mostly)?
19
most within the municipality of Jerez de la Frontera
Who classifies and designates a vineyard as “Jerez Superior”?
The Regulatory Council through a technical committee
(Other vineyards are Jerez Zona)
The Consejo Regulador defines a pago as a plot of vineyard land which produces grapes with distinct characteristics, based on what five criteria?
location
microclimatic conditions
proximity to the sea
soil composition; or
terrain
The proximity of the Atlantic Ocean has what effect?
Lowers high temperatures
Humidifies
Especially at night
At what times of year is the poniente wind most prominent?
Autumn and winter (October to April)
What are the predominant winds in each main town?
Jerez: Levante
El Puerto: Levante and poniente
Sanlúcar: Poniente
Albariza is poor in what two things?
organic matter
nitrogen
Which of sun-drying and late harvest are commonly used for moscatel?
Both
(At Lustau only late harvest)
Which of sun-drying and late harvest are commonly used for PX?
sun-drying (asoleo in paseras)
PX is susceptible to what hazards?
humidity and fungal diseases
Rootstocks must be resistant to what?
phylloxera
limestone (causes chlorosis)
What happens in the vineyard in:
Dec, Jan, Feb?
Dec: desbragado (fertilisation and root pruning)
Jan: poda (pruning)
Feb: tilling
What happens in the vineyard in:
Mar, Apr, May?
Mar: nitrogenation [budbreak]
Apr: budbreak and vine treatment (against insects / mites / fungal diseases)
May: flowering, castra y recastra to eliminate unproductive sprouts
What happens in the vineyard in:
Jun, Jul, Aug?
Jun: trellising [veraison end June]
Jul: veraison and tilling to prevent evaporation
Aug: ripening and early harvest
What happens in the vineyard in:
Sep, Oct, Nov?
Sep: late harvest and sundrying
Oct: aserpiado
Nov: leaf fall
Are the grapes crushed and destemmed?
Crushed, and if necessary destemmed
(usually partially destemmed, very carefully to avoid breaking the stem and releasing herbal/tannic flavours, retaining 40-50% of stems to create channels for free run juice)
How much pressure obtains the first press (mosto yema / primera yema)?
Free run juice or with intentional very light pressure (max 2 kg/cm2), obtains about two-thirds of obtainable juice.
(Segundo pie / segunda yema typically 2-4 kg/cm2)
At what stage is the initial classification of the wine made?
When fermentation of the base wine is complete (typically start of December, flor begins to appear within the wine from about 8-10%abv)
From what evidence is the initial classification of wines made?
Laboratory analysis and the taster’s nose; the judgement and experience of the experts supersedes all else
Characteristics of the grape spirit used for fortification (encabezado)?
High proof (96% abv)
Neutral
Wine distillate
Need not come from the region
(commonly airén from La Mancha)
What are the chalk marks for a) finos/manzanillas, and b) olorosos?
/
Ø
What kind of wood is used in ageing casks?
American oak
Why is the second classification of biologically aged wines, during sobretablas, more onerous?
Because the wine has moved from 50,000L fermentation tanks to 600L casks (or, nowadays, smaller stainless steel tanks) and all must be classified
At second classification, if flor is present but evolution is not suitable for fino/manzanilla, what style is the wine now classified for?
palo cortado
What is unusual about PX?
It does not have to come from grapes grown in the region
[2022 regs specify Montilla-Moriles]
(Also, according to The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition, it loses alcohol as it ages in cask and very old examples may be little more than 10%)
Describe the post-harvest preparation of PX grapes before pressing
sun-drying (asoleo) - can last over a week (7 - 15 days) in the Marco de Jerez, or just a few days in Montilla-Moriles, with periodic turning over for even raisining
bunches covered at night (to avoid rehydration by morning dew, rot)
loses up to 52% of water to reach 450-500g/L sugar
darkens from oxidation
What happens to PX after initial fortification?
the tierno is stabilized and clarified during the autumn and winter months before deslío, re-fortification up to 15%abv, and oxidative ageing in American oak barrels (either statically or in criaderas)
Ageing cellars are built to encourage circulation of which winds, and to block which others?
Encourage: W, S winds (including poniente).
Block: NE, E winds (including levante).
What attributes are promoted by the solera and criaderas system?
Quality
Personality
Homogeneity
Why is it difficult to make vintage biologically aged sherry?
For vintage certification the wine must be guaranteed to come exclusively from the designated harvest. The barrel is sealed under the supervision of the Consejo Regulador, which limits air circulation making the flor unlikely to survive.
What is the difference between fino and manzanilla?
Manzanilla is aged exclusively in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the town and its municipal territory)
(the vineyards and vinification of base wines can be elsewhere)
Is concentration, caused by evaporation through the walls of the barrel, more prominent in biologically or oxidatively aged wines?
Oxidatively
“vinos generosos” are dry wines (almost always) made from which grape(s)?
palomino
“dulces naturales” are sweet wines (almost always) made from which grape(s)?
moscatel or pedro ximénez
(if palomino or a blend then they are simply called “dulce”)
Storage of both open and closed bottles: vertical/horizontal? avoid?
vertical
avoid light
Compounds that sherry distinctively contributes to cocktails
Wine acids
Natural glycerol (mouthfeel)
Three types of regulated wine (in Spanish and English)
Vinos generosos (fortified wines).
Vinos dulces naturales (natural sweet wines).
Vinos generosos de licor (fortified liqueur wines).
Give three examples of places (outside the Marco de Jerez) that have marketed imitations labeled sherry or Jerez
Australia
South Africa
California
(and many others)
Which of the six authorised grape varieties are white?
All six are white
Give two reasons for using specific pruning methods
To guide the plant’s growth
Control its yield
Spanish term for a corridor in a bodega
Almizcate
Which town makes biologically aged wines with the highest acetaldehyde?
Sanlucar (123 mg/L vs 84 - 85 elsewhere)
Which has higher acetaldehyde - biologically aged sherry or oloroso?
Biologically. Acetaldehyde is created by flor and almost nonexistent in oloroso.
(Alcohol + oxygen, with flor = waxy coating that makes the flor float, and acetaldehyde)
How do bodegas get wines certified as VOS/VORS?
Submit to Expert Tasting Committee (independent of bodega).
Wines are analysed for ester content, ash, or dry extract.
Certified sherries get special seals.
How are single vineyard wines aged?
Either little ageing in solaraje and sold young, or statically aged as vintage
Name the five most famous pagos, and the town(s) they are grouped under
Anticlockwise from north of Jerez:
Carrascal
Macharnudo Alto
Macharnudo Bajo
Añina
Balbaína Alta
all under Jerez de la Frontera
(according to The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition)
What is amontillado?
Biological ageing followed by oxidative ageing.
Biological ageing could end after many years by depletion of the flor, perhaps in the older criaderas or by running the scales less often, or sooner by second fortification to above 16% abv - regulations do not specify.
Are sweet wines (dulce, PX, moscatel) biologically aged, oxidatively aged, either, or both?
Oxidatively
