Sherry Flashcards
What are the 9 towns of sherry production?
Lebrija Trebujena Sanlúcar de Barrameda Chipiona Rota Jerez de la Frontera El Puerto de Santa Maria Puerto Real Chiclana de la Frontera
All the towns of Sherry production are in the province of Cádiz, except one. Which one, and where is it located?
Lebrija, in Seville
What is the humid wind that blows off the Atlantic and encourages the growth of flor?
Poniente
Where do you find the greatest concentration of Albariza soil?
Jerez Superior, between Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the Guadalete River.
What % of Jerez’s vineyards are located in Jerez Superior?
80.00%
What is the largest pago in Jerez?
Marchanudo
What % of vineyard acreage in Jerez is given over to Palomino? What are the sub-varieties?
95% of acreage.
Palomino Fino, Palomino de Jerez
Which town has the greatest concentration of Moscatel plantings (and likely the sandiest soils)?
Chipiona
Which varieties typically submit to soleo?
PX and Moscatel. Palomino may be sunned briefly (<24 hours), but frequently is not at all.
What is the traditional method of training in Jerez?
Vara y Pulgar (stick and thumb)
The traditional method of crushing Palomino grapes was pisadores with zapatos de pisar. What are pisadores and zapatos de pisar?
Pisadores: laborers Zapatos de Pisar: cowhide boots (shoes) with angled nails on the soles
What is the maximum amount of liquid per 100kg of grapes allowed for use in Sherry?
72.5L per 100kg. The rest is used for distillate or non-classified wines.
What is the name for grape must in Jerez?
Mosto de Yema
What is primera yema, and what % of the mosto de yema does it comprise?
Free-run juice, comprising 60-70% of the total
What is segunda yema?
Press wine
What is Mosto Presna
Poor-quality press wine, used for distillate
T/F: The Primera Yema and Segunda Yema are fortified together
FALSE
What must happen to Palomino grapes before fermentation?
Acidification and Sulfuring
Traditionally, how did producers add acidity and clarify the wine?
By adding plaster and cream of tartar (which produces tartaric acid).
What is the modern method of acidifying and clarifying the must for sherry?
Adding tartaric acid, and racking before fermentation.
What was the traditional fermentation vessel for sherry? What is more common now?
600L American Oak Butts; nowadays, most producers use stainless steel
Sherry undergoes a two-part fermentation: what are they?
First, the Tumultuous Fermentation, a hot and vigorous phase lasting about a week. Second, the Slow Fermentation, a longer, cooler process of converting the last of the sugar into wine.
What is the name for Jerez’s system of racking?
Desfangado
At the conclusion of fermentation, the wine is classified: what does a vertical slash mean, and what is the destiny of the wine?
The vertical slash indicates the wine has been classified as Palo, and is destined to become Fino or Manzanilla
At the conclusion of fermentation, the wine is classified: what does a circle mean, and what is the destiny of the wine?
The circle indicates the wine has been classified as Gordura, and is destined to be aged oxidatively as an oloroso.
What is necessary to encourage the growth of flor?
Fortification to 15-15.5%abv, warm, humid air, and the absence of fermentable sugars.
What abv are gordura wines fortified to?
17-18%
Wines destined for biological aging are primarily sourced from what soils and what pressing?
The Primera Yema, from grapes grown on finer albariza soils.
Wines destined for oxidative aging are primarily sourced from what pressing?
The Segunda Yema.
Wines that undergo biological aging go through an intermediary stage. What is this stage called, and what is its purpose?
Sobretablas: a period of six months to a year where the wine is monitored and classified for a second time.
What container is used for sobretablas?
Used 600L American Oak butts.
What does Palma indicate?
A fine, delicate sherry with flourishing flor, which will continue to develop as a fino style.
What does Palma Cortada indicate?
A more robust sherry with flourishing flor, which may emerge as amontillado.
What does Palo Cortado indicate?
A richly styled sherry with still-present flor. After sobretablas, the wine will be fortified to 17-18%, and will age oxidatively from then on.
What does Raya indicate?
A quality sherry that is not sustaining flor, which will be fortified further and made into oloroso.
What does Dos Rayas indicate?
A rough or coarse sherry that is not sustaining flor, characterized by high levels of VA. The wine will either be blended and sweetened for low-quality sherry, or become sherry vinegar.
What is the minimum solera aging for sherry as of 2010? What was the previous minimum?
2 years as of 2010; previously 3 years.
What is the term for movement of wine in the solera?
Trasiegos
For every liter of wine drawn from the solera, how many must remain?
Two; previously the ratio was 1:3.
The solera system is integral to what type of aging?
Biological
Most sherries are totally dry in character. What is the name for this style of wine?
Generoso
What characterizes Fino sherry?
Light, delicate; almond-toned and salty. Final abv 15-17%
What characterizes Amontillado sherry?
Robust, hazelnut characters and slightly higher alcohol, with deep flavor and color. Final abv 16-22%.
What is Fino-Amontillado sherry?
The intermediate stage between Fino and Amontillado, where the sherry has lost its flor, and begins to age oxidatively.
What characterizes Oloroso?
Spicy, walnut tones and smooth, rich mouthfeel. Final abv 17-22%.
What characterizes Palo Cortado?
The richness and body of Oloroso, with the delicate bouquet of Amontillado.
What is Manzanilla Pasada?
Manzanilla that has lost its flor and is showing some oxidative characters. Similar to Fino-Amontillado.
Which moves through the solera faster: Fino, or Manzanilla?
Manzanilla
What is used for fortification in sherry?
Mitad y Mitad: a mix of grape spirit and mature sherry.
What is the name for the process of blending and sweeting sherry?
Cabaceo
What is Dulce Pasa?
Mistela produced from sunned Palomino, used for sweetening Generoso Liqueur Sherry
What is Dulce de Almibar?
A blend of invert sugar and fino; very rare.
What is Vino de Color?
A blend of boiled, reduced syrup and fresh must.
If Vino de Color is reduced to 1/3 the original size, what is it called?
Sancocho
If Vino de Color is reduced to 1/5 it’s original size, what is it called?
Arrope
What are the Generoso Liqueur sherry types?
Pale Cream: lighter and fresher, from Fino wines (45-115 g/l RS, 15.5-22%)
Cream: darker and denser, from Oloroso (115-140 g/l RS, 15.5-22%)
Dry: a paler style, still with RS (5-45 g/l RS (15-22%)
Medium: rich amber sherry, sometimes from Amontillado (5-115 g/l RS, 15-22%)
What additional terms are permitted for Medium Sherry?
Golden, Milk, Brown
What is an almacenista?
One who purchases young wines and matures them, then sells them to shippers at full maturity.
What is the Portuguese equivalent of almacenistas?
Partidistas (Madeira)
Which major sherry house has trademarked the term Almacenista?
Lustau
What is the term for wines produced solely from sunned PX and Moscatel?
Vino Dulce Natural (still fortified, like the French VDN)
What does VOS indicate with regards to sherry?
Vinum Optimum Signatum: Solera wines with an average age of over 20 years.
For every liter drawn from a VOS solera, how many must remain?
20
What does VORS indicate with regards to sherry?
Vinum Optimum Rare Sigantum: Solera wines with an average age of over 30 years.
For every liter drawn from a VORS solera, how many must remain?
30
What styles are eligible for VOS/VORS?
Amontillado, Oloroso, PX, Palo Cortado
Approval for VOS/VORS applies to the individual lot of drawn wine, or the whole solera?
The individual lot.
Certification of age (either 12 or 15) for use on a label applies to the individual lot of drawn wine, or the entire solera?
The entire solera
What is the traditional sherry glass?
Copita
Name three major sherry pagos.
Jerez de la Frontera:
Macharnudo
Añina
Carrascal
Sanlucar de Barrameda
Callejuela
El Maestre
Miraflores
El Puerto de Santa Maria
Los Tercios
Who produces Innocente, and from where? What parallel solera produces Amontillado? How long do these wines age?
Valdespino, from Macharndo Alto
Tio Diego is the Amontillado Solera
Innocente spends 10 years under flor; 12 for Tio Diego, followed by 5-6 years oxidatively.
Name three VORS wines from Valdespino
Cardenal Palo Cortado Coliseo Amontillado Su Majestad Oloroso Niños PX Toneles Moscatel
Who produces the La Bota series?
Equipos Navazos
Focus is vineyard and cask selection, not house style.
Where is Antonio Barbadillo? What is he most famous for?
Sanlucar de Barrameda
In 1827, first to name a wine Manzanilla (branded Divina Pastora) and release it in bottle, under the Bodegas El Toro label.
More contemporarily, En Rama releases.
What does En Rama indicate?
Sherry bottled without the typical hard filtering; applies only to biologically aged styles.
What are Barbadillo’s vineyards?
Gilbalbín
Santa Lucía
Name three sherry houses owned by Grupo Estevez?
Valdespino
La Guita
Marqués de Real Tesoro
Who produces Tio Pepe?
Gonzales Byass
Fino. First vintage 1849
