Sherry Flashcards
What town in Spain is the center of the Sherry industry?
Jerez del la Frontera
What is the climate in Jerez?
Hot, sunny, mediterranean
What kind of soil does Jerez have? And what is it like?
Albariza and it has high chalk content, good drainange but excellent water holding capacity
In Jerez, how do grapegrowers manage water during the long dry, hot summer?
dig rectangular pits between the rows of vines to trap water and reduce run-off
What are the three grape varieties use in Sherry and permitted in Jerez?
Palomino, Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Muscat de Alexandria
What is the main component that determines sherry production?
Biological or oxidative maturation
What makes varietals good for sherry production?
Low in acid and lacks varietal aromas
Which of the two sherry varietals are used to make sweet wines?
PX and Muscat de Alexandria
Which sherry varietal is used to make dry wines?
Palomino
Why does fermentation temps run high for white wine?
Suits the aim of producing Sherry which is to produce a neutral base
What is “first classification” in sherry production?
The process of how they choose which base wines will be sent for biological ageing vs oxidative ageing.
Typically, lighter, paler wines with more finesse are selected for which type of ageing?
Biological ageing
Richer, heavier wines are selected for what type of ageing?
Oxidative ageing
What is film forming yeast called?
Flor
Wines made from cooler coastal vineyards and/or are fermented at lower temps are best for what type of ageing?
Biological
Wines made from grapes that grown in the warmer inland vineyards and fermented at higher temps are best for what ageing?
Oxidative
What is process in the winery for dry style sherrys?
Grape handling and fermentation, first classification, fortification and sobretabla
What is the process in the winery for sweet style sherrys?
Grape handling, fermentation and fortification
What is the sobretabla stage?
After the classification has been made, the wines are fortified using a 96% abv neutral spirit, then set aside for a few months before incorporating into a solera system
What % avb are the wines fortified with if they are biologically aged vs oxidatively aged?
15-15.5% to 17%
Which type of ageing is flor necessary?
Biological ageing
Which type of ageing is the sobretabla not critical and why?
The Oxidative because it doesn’t matter as the wines are fortified too hight (17%) for the flor to survive
How do they make sweet sherry?
Grapes are sun-dried after picking to concentrate their sugar levels
What are the 600 litre oak barrels that mature sherrys called?
Butts
Why is the oak important in the production of sherry?
use neutral oak and the oak is needed to allow the wine to interact with oxygen, furthered by the fact that the butts are only ever 5/6ths full
What is the famous system called for maturing Sherry?
The Solera System
What are criaderas?
The levels of different butts filled with different average aged wines
Explain the process of the Solera System?
A process of systematic blending whereas wine is moved between the levels of the system. Wine for bottling is taken out of the “solera” – An equal amount of wine is taken out of each butt in this level–the solera is not fully emptied and the butts are replenished with equal amounts of wine from butts in the next level of wine from slightly younger age. Then each criadera is replenished with younger wine. The youngest criadera is replenished with sobretabla wine.
What is the “s?olera”
holds wine of the oldest average age
How many criaderas can a solera system have?
As few as 3 and up to 14
How do you talk about the age of a criadera?
You can only talk about an average age
What is the main advantage of the Solera System?
Wine taken out for bottling or blending is the same every time. Consistency
Explain flor?
A number of yeast strains that form a thick layer on the surface of the wine and feed off alcohol and nutrients and oxygen and they produce CO2 AND Acetaldehyde.
What gives biologically aged sherries their unique flavor?
Acetaldehyde
Wine taken from biolgically aged flor systems usually only have an average age of what?
3 to 4 years
Do biologically aged sherries like finos age well?
No, they need to be consumed shortly after bottling
Which varietals are aged oxidatively?
Oloroso, PX and some Muscat Sherries
How is Amontillado aged?
It is aged oxidatively after a period of biological ageing
How do they keep oxidative aged sherries from becoming overly oxidized?
introduction of young wine
How long can sherries be matured oxidatively for?
Up to 30 years
What happens to the alcohol level in oxidative aged sherries?
It rises to 22% abv as water evaporates
Most sherries are blends of wines from what?
Several Solera Systems
Name the dry styles of sherries?
Fino and Manzanilla, Oloroso, Amontillado and Palo Cortado
Fino and Manzanilla are what style of sherry?
Biological ageing, pale lemon color, aromas of citrus fruit, almonds and herbs and bready notes from flor. Consume early
Oloroso is what style of Sherry?
Oxidative ageing, brown in color, full-bodied, oxidative aromas of toffee, leather, spice and walnut
What is the style of Amontillado?
Starts with biological ageing and then is aged oxidatively. 17% abv, amber or brown in color, yeast derived aromas and oxidative aromas, can age
What is the style of the Palo Cortado?
Rare style of Sherry, said to combine the body and richness of Oloroso but the aroma character of an Amontillado
What are the naturally sweet wines of sherry?
Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Muscat
What type of ageing has the naturally sweet wines done?
Oxidative aging
What are the sweetened styles of Sherry?
Pale Cream, Medium and Cream and Sherries with Indication of age
Which is the sweet style of sherry that is biologically aged and sweetened with RCGM?
Pale Cream
Which is the style of sherry that is a broad category with both inexpensive and premium wines?
Medium and Cream
