Sherry Flashcards
More than any other wine style what style is defined most by the processes used during maturation?
Sherry
where are Sherry’s exploited to their fullest extent?
Jerez
Where are vineyards that produce Sherry
in an area that surrounds the southern Spanish town of Jerez de la Frontera which gives the region its name.
Where must the Sherry wines be matured from Jerez?
either within city limits or in one of the two smaller seaside towns of Sanlucar de Barranmeda or El Puerto de Santa Maria
What type of climate does Jerez have?
hot sunny, Mediterranean although the vineyards that are nearer to the coast are on average a little cooler and benefit more from the prevailing cool, humid westerly wind.
What is the prevailing cool humid westerly wind on the coast in Jerez called?
poniente
What is the levante in Jerez?
it is a hot drying which sometimes send the temperature soaring when it blows in from the east.
What does the extra heat from Levante do to the vineyard
can add stress to the vines and damage the grapes.
What is the rainfall like in Jerez?
higher when compared to other Spanish regions, however in the growing season it is limited.
What type of soil does Jerez have that allows the vines to cope with limited rainfall
albariza soil - which has a very high chalk content providing good drainage but vitally its depth and excellent water holding capacity mean it stores enough water to sustain vines during very hot, dry, summers
What is done in Jerez in order to maximize the amount of water that is retained by the soil during autumn and winter
rectangular pits are dug between rows of vines to trap the water and reduce run off.
When are the rectangular pits dug in the vineyard to maximize water retention?
right after the harvest has finished and the soil is smoothed out again in the spring
How is moisture retention further enhanced in the summer in Jerez?
the albariza soil forms a hard crust that limits evaporation from the soil.
What are the three grape varieties allowed in Jerez?
Palomino, Ledro Ximenez (PX) and Muscat of Alexandria
Which grape varietal is the vast majority of plantings in Jerez
Palomino
What are the characteristics of wines made with Palomino in Jerez?
naturally low in acid, and lack obvious varietal aromas, which makes it ideal for Sherry production
How is Sherry production of wine largely determined?
either by biological or oxidative maturation.
What does Pedro Ximenez (PX) have in common with Palomino?
both have very little varietal flavor
what types of skins do PX grapes have? how does this impact the wine made
thin skins which makes them ideal to be sun dried for sweet sherry production
Where are PX grapes mostly grown?
very little grown in Jerez - mostly grown in neighboring regions of Montilla-Moriles where it grows more successfully. unusual exception that these grapes can be used in Sherry production
Describe Muscat of Alexandra wines\
only a very few amount of this is grown and like PX used for sweet wines.
What grape is used to make the dry style of Jerez wines?
Palomino
Due to high temperature at harvest times for Palomino grapes, what must happen at harvest?
the grapes must reach the press as quickly as possible to avoid oxidation
How does fermentation typically take place for dry sherry wines
in large stainless steel tanks at temperatures ranging from 20-25C (high for white wine, but suits the producer trying to make a neutral base wine.