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Master Sommelier Theory 2025 > Fortified: Sherry, Vermouth > Flashcards

Fortified: Sherry, Vermouth Flashcards

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1
Q

In what province is Jerez? What are the 3 towns for Sherry?

A

Cadiz provice

Jerez de la Frontera
El Puerto de Santa Maria
Sanlucar de Barrameda

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2
Q

What is the climate like in Jerez? Influencing factors?

A

hottest region in Spain

hot dry Levante wind- blows from East

poniente: humid atlantic wind

Guadalquivir River to northwest

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3
Q

List the 3 soil types in Sherry

A

Albariza- white, chalky, most prized

Barros- more clay, in valleys

Arenas- sandy soils more common in coastal areas

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4
Q

Grapes authorized for Sherry production

A

Palomino (Fino, Jerez), Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel de Alejandriá

2022 regulations now allow: Beba, Cañocazo, Mantúo Castellano, Mantúo de Pilas, Perruno and Vigiriega.

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5
Q

What is the soleo process?

A

also called pasificación (from the Spanish word for raisin: pasa) Sherry grapes are dried for 1-3 weeks on esparto grass mats in the sun. Usually for PX and Moscatel. Palomino oxidizes quickly and must be pressed as soon as possible

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6
Q

What are the 3 stages of quality in Sherry must?

A

Primera yema - free run, usually best suited for biological aging.

Segunda yema - press wine- the must is more affected by the solids, better suited for oxidative aging

Mosto prensa - poorer quality press wine

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7
Q

Sherry extraction limit

A

70 litres for each 100kg of grape may be used to produce Sherry Wine

the remainder is used for declassified wine or distillation

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8
Q

What is desfangado?

A

racking- in Sherry, to clarify the juice prior to fermentation

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9
Q

What are the two stages of Sherry fermentation?

A

first a short, hot tumultuous fermentation, lasting up to a week. usually in stainless steel, though some still use sherry butts, which was traditional.

second, the lenta, or slow fermentation. this can last a few weeks

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10
Q

What are the two initial classifications for Sherry?

A

after fermentation, the wine is either classified as palo, or destined for biological aging. marked with a slash/ palma

gordura- destined for oxidative aging, marked with a circle

the wines are classified, then fortified to the appropriate strength.

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11
Q

To what % abv are palo wines fortified?

A

15-15.5%
flor dies at 17%

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12
Q

To what % abv are gordura wines fortified?

A

17-18% - a high enough level of alcohol that will not permit the growth of flor

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13
Q

What styles of wine come from casks marked “palo”?

A

Fino or Manzanilla, and Amontillado

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14
Q

What styles of wine come from casks marked “gordura”?

A

Olorosso- or oxidative

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15
Q

What is sobretables?

A

An intermediary stage for sherries aged biologically - after initial classification, the wine will age 6-12 months before being classified for it’s final form

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16
Q

What are the second classifications for sherry?

A

Palma
Palma Cortado
Palo Cortado
Raya
Dos Rayas

(for wines undergoing biological aging)

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17
Q

What kind of wine is classified as Palma?

A

For sherry undergoing biological aging- this wine has a flor that has flourished, and it will likely be a Fino style

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18
Q

What kind of wine is classified as Palma Cortado?

A

This is a more robust Fino, that may emerge as Amontillado

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19
Q

Palo Cortado

A

The flor is still present, but the wine is too rich for Fino. The wine will be redirected toward oxidative aging, and fortified to bring the alcohol up to around 17%. This has the rich body and color of an Olorosso, but the aromatics of Fino sherry.

high glycerine at 8-10 g/l

TA 4-6 g/l

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20
Q

What kind of wine is classified as Raya?

A

For sherry undergoing biological aging, the flor has died, and the wine is redirected toward oxidative aging, becoming Olorosso.

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21
Q

What kind of wine is classified as Dos Rayas?

A

For sherry undergoing biological aging, the flor has died and the wine is rough and coarse. It will be blended for lower quality sherry, or become vinegar

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22
Q

What is the minimum aging for sherry?

A

2 years before bottling.

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23
Q

What are the three classifications of Manzanilla Sherry?

A

Manzanilla Fina (like Fino)
Manzanilla Pasada (like Amontillado)- min 7 years
Manzanilla Olorosa

all must come from Sanlucar de Barrameda

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24
Q

What does generoso indicate for Sherry?

A

Dry

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25
Q

What is cabeceo in Sherry production?

A

the process of small scale blending and sweetening before sale. The wines are blended and sweetened in a test tube, then the proportions are applied on a large scale

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26
Q

What sweetening agents are used in Sherry?

A

Dulce pasa - must of sundried Palomino

Dulce de almibar- blend of invert sugar and Fino

Mistela - must of dried Moscatel and PX

27
Q

Name a single vineyard sherry

A

Valdespino: “Inocente” Fino
Valdespino: “Tio Diego” Amontillado

28
Q

List 3 producers of Sherry

A

Lustau
Osbourne
Gonzalez Byass
Valdespino

29
Q

What is the difference between vermouth and quina quina?

A

Vermouth requires woormwood as primary bittering agent, Quina Quina is quinine

30
Q

Prominent French producers of Quina Quina?

A

Lillet, Byrrh, Bonal

31
Q

sherry butt

A

or “bota,” american oak 600 litre cask or 36 arrobas (an arroba is an old measure equal to 16.66 litres

these are typically filled to 500L to leave space for flor to develop

32
Q

Jerez climate

A

Atlantic influence.

very mild winters, and very hot summers where temperatures frequently rise above 40ºC. The region enjoys a very high average of between 3,000 and 3,200 hours of effective sunlight.

average 22 inches rain/ year

33
Q

why is albariza soil prized?

A

it retains moisture well, storing each winter’s rainfall in order to nourish the vines during the dry months. the upper levels of soil bake hard under the heat of the summer, thus preventing the evapotranspiration produced by the region’s high levels of sunlight.

Albariza soil is easy to work and, being very moisture retentive, facilitates an excellent distribution of the root system

34
Q

notable pagos sherry

A

pagos are small areas of vineyard delimited by topographical features and possessing homogeneous soils and mesoclimate.

Macharnudo
Carrascal
Añina
Bilbaina

35
Q

where can sherry aging take place?

A

until 2022, the final stage of aging had to take place in the sherry triangle of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda

2022 update allows producers in the other municipalities to complete production in their own municipalities- Trebujena, Lebrija, Chipiona, Rota, Chiclana and Puerto Real

36
Q

Fino Viejo

A

new category of Jerez DO sherry created in 2022 for wines aged minimum 7 years

Manzanilla equivalent: Pasada

37
Q

sherry “en rama”

A

wines that are not subjected to clarification or cold stabilisation processes.

(as of 2022 updates)

38
Q

2022 sherry updates

A
  • expanded aging area for Jerez DO to all municipalities
  • added 6 new grapes
  • added Fino Viejo/ Manzanilla Pasada- min 7 yrs aging
  • defined “en rama” (not cold stabilized or clarified)
  • fortification is NO LONGER MANDATORY
  • all biologically aged wines from Sanlucar will be Manzanilla (no more fino. 10 years to phase out)
39
Q

does Sherry have to be fortified?

A

not anymore! as of 2022- If the wines reach naturally the ABV required for each type (15% for finos and manzanillas, 17% for olorosos, etc.), it will not be mandatory for the bodegas to add more alcohol

40
Q

Jerez vine training

A

“vara y pulgar” (stick and thumb) or jerezana: a traditional method of pruning specific to this Denomination consists of training each vine’s trunk into two branches.

These are pruned on alternate years leaving one long branch, or “stick”, with at least eight or buds on it, whilst the other is pruned to a shorter shoot, or “thumb”, with only one or two buds on it.

The year’s grapes develop on the on the longer “stick”, whilst the buds on the shorter “thumb” sprout to form the following year’s “stick”, whilst this year’s stick is then cut back to become a thumb once the grapes have been picked

41
Q

aserpia

A

or “alumbra,” a practice unique to Jerez- building up ridges of earth between the vine rows to create a series of rectangular pits that serve to catch and store rainwater during the autumn and winter months, preventing it from running off and being lost down the hillside slopes. When spring arrives the aserpia channel walls are demolished and the topsoil broken up and levelled out.

42
Q

pie de cuba

A

fermentation starter for sherry- a small amount of already fermenting must is sometimes added to start fermentation

43
Q

how does flor work

A

after the base wine of sherry has finished fermentation and has been racked off it’s lees, a film of yeast will form on the surface of the wine. it feeds on alcohol, remaining sugars, and oxygen, and creates acetaldehydes (the nutty aromatic compound). this happens best in fall and spring

Ideally, temperatures range between 16-22°C (61-68°F) [5]. This can be challenging to maintain year-round, especially in the warm climate where sherry is produced.

High humidity is crucial, with a sweet spot around 70% or even higher [1]. To promote flor growth, casks are left partially open, and traditional sherry bodegas have thick walls and high ceilings to maintain a cool and humid environment.

flor is kept alive in the solera as nutrients are re-introduced with additions from the añada, and oxygen is added while transferring wine between levels

44
Q

añada (sherry)

A

olorosso sherries will either go into a solera system or an añada- a large barrel that does not undergo fractional blending. wines from the same vintage will be set aside and stored together in the añada.

these are generally used to add to the solera in a process known as trasiego, but some will market them as vintage wines

45
Q

merma

A

evaporation- accounts for losses of 3 percent to 5 percent per year of the total wine stored (sherry)

46
Q

levels in a solera

A

bottom is solera (name comes from suelo, spanish word for floor)
then next up is 1st criadera (“nursery”) and so on

47
Q

correr escalas

A

name for process of effecting the sacas and rocíos in a solera (running the scales)

48
Q

saca

A

in sherry production, this is the extraction of a portion of sherry to then add to the next layer down in the solera system

49
Q

rocío

A

“sprinkling” in sherry production- this is the process of topping off with wine that was extracted from the layer above

50
Q

trasiegos

A

process of moving wine within the solera system

51
Q

sherry bodega construction

A

Bodegas are built in strategic places where the gentle southerly and westerly winds blowing in from the Atlantic can circulate easily. These breezes (poniente) are laden with the moisture needed for the development of flor.

The rectangular shape of the bodega floor-plan adapts to a northeast-southeast axis so that moisture can get into the interior of the bodega unimpeded, yet blocking the harmful, strong, dry levante winds blowing in from the east and north-east.

in summer- the south faces of the bodega are often shaded with pergolas or trees, to block some of the extreme heat

52
Q

bota punta

A

a barrel located at the end of the lowest row of casks.

this cask is more prone to airflow within the bodega, because of its location at the far end of a row of casks. This means potentially more humidity, more yeast cells, or other environmental conditions.

it might be topped off from other butts in the solera, rather than from the 1st criadera

53
Q

which type of Palomino is most common in sherry?

A

Palomino Fino

low acid
oxidizes quickly

54
Q

sherry aging

A

All wines must be aged in solera for a min. 2 years prior to release (prior to 2010, wines were aged for a minimum of 3 years)

Sherry with Certified Age Designation: only Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado, and Pedro Ximénez Vino Dulce Natural are authorized

VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum/Very Old Sherry): min. 20 years average age

VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum/Very Old Rare Sherry): min. 30 years average age

55
Q

Olorosso sherry

A

sherry that has been aged oxidatively, and classified that way initially due to it’s structure

made from Palomino, fortified to 17%, can get up to 22% with aging

very high glycerine content (8-10 g/l) which gives it a full and smooth mouthfeel (feels sweeter than a fino, i.e.)

4-6 g/l TA

56
Q

Manzanilla

A

Manzanilla is a dry white wine made from palomino grapes and aged under a layer of yeasts know as veil de flor. It is produced exclusively in the bodegas of Sanlúcar de Barrameda

made from Palomino. fortified to 15%, can get to 19% with age

glycerine content around 2g/l- much lighter on palate

3-5g/l TA

57
Q

Fino sherry

A

Fino is a dry white wine made from palomino grapes, which, as is the case with Manzanilla, is aged under a layer of yeasts which make up the veil of flor. It is stored and aged in American oak butts using the traditional solera y criaderas system

made from Palomino, fortified to 15%. can get to 18% with aging

glycerine less than 2 g/l- lighter on palate

3-5g/l TA

58
Q

Amontillado

A

Amontillado is a very unique wine due to its dual aging process: first under the veil of flor, typical of Fino and Manzanilla, followed by a period in which the flor disappears and the wine is exposed to oxidation.

made from palomino

16-22% alcohol, depending on age

glycerine 3-5 g/l : weightier than fino and manzanilla, lighter than olorosso

TA 4-6 g/L

59
Q

Pale Cream Sherry

A

Pale Cream is a vino generoso de licor produced from biologically aged wine (Fino or Manzanilla) to which concentrated rectified must is added in order to create a touch of sweetness to mitigate the original dry sensation of the wine.

45 - 115 g/l sugar

60
Q

“medium” sherry

A

can refer to a range of styles

5 - 45 grams per litre it is known as “Medium Dry”,

45 - 115 grams per litre is known as “Medium Sweet”

61
Q

Cream sherry

A

blend of Oloroso (in what is known as cabeceo) with an amount of Pedro Ximénez, hence it being commonly known as Sweet Oloroso.

115-140 g/l sugar

62
Q

Moscatel sherry

A

made from sun dried Moscatel grapes
15-22% alcohol

over 160 g/l RS

63
Q

Pedro Ximenez Sherry

A

made from sun dried PX grapes
15-22% alcohol

over 212 g/l RS

Master Sommelier Theory 2025 (57 decks)

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