Sherry Flashcards
What are the 3 towns of the Sherry Triangle?
Jerez de la Frontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda
Puerto de Santa Maria
Describe the climate of the Sherry region.
Hot, sunny and Mediterranean, slightly cooler by the coast
High rainfall but limited in the growing season
What are the cool, humid and hot, arid winds called?
Poniente = Cool, humid, westerly Levante = Hot and arid
What is the soil in Sherry region, what is it largely made up of and how do Vine growers use it to best effect?
Albariza
Very high Chalk content
Good drainage of Winter rain but retains water at deep levels to sustain vine through hot Summer
Pits dug in Autumn to catch water, smoothed over in Spring
Forms hard crust to seal moisture in and limit evaporation
What grapes are used to make sherry?
Palomino - vast majority
Pedro Ximinez
Muscat of Alexandria
How is Palomino processed to make base wine
Into winery and pressed ASAP to avoid oxidation
Steel tank ferment, high temp, 20~25c to produce neutral wine
Once Palamino is made into base wine which two directions can it head in?
Lighter, more finessed wines - Biological ageing (under Flor)
Darker wines - Oxidative ageing (no Flor)
To what % is base wine fortified?
With what? What strength is it?
Biological ageing wines - 15%~15.5%
Oxidative ageing wines - 17%
Fortified with pure grape spirit at 96% abv
Where do wines spend time before introduction into the Solera system?
In the Sobretabla for a few months
How are grapes processed for Sweet styles?
Sun dried to raisin them
Ferment to a few % abv as yeast struggles with so much sugar
Fortified to 17%
What size are the barrels in the Solera system?
What are they called?
How full are they kept?
600 ltr
Butts
5/6th full to allow oxygen
What does flor need to survive?
Cool, humid conditions
consumes alcohol and nutrients in the wine
What are the levels of the Solera system called?
Criaderas
How is wine removed from the Solera System and how is it topped up?
Taken from the bottom level called the Solera
Blended wine from 1st Criadera tops up Solera
Blended wine from 2nd Criadera tops up first
Blended wine from 3rd Criadera tops up 2nd etc etc etc
Wine in Sobretabla used to top up the top level Criadera
What does Acetaldehyde do to sherry?
Gives Biological Sherry its unique aromas and flavours of Citrus fruit, almonds, herbs and bready aromas (created by flor)