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Andalucian Wine and Sherry

Nearly all the "real" Sherry that is sold around the world comes from an area called the 'Sherry Triangle’ in the south-west of Andalucia. It's an expanse of vineyards bordered by Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria.

The successful production of Sherry here is no secret - it’s all in the soil. A crumbly, chalky and moisture-retaining earth together with the damp climate make an excellent and unique production area.

Vine cultivation was introduced to this region 3,000 years ago. The area was then called Xera which the Moors changed to Seris, from where we get the present name Jerez.

The bodegas that make Sherry in the 'Sherry Triangle’ mainly grow the Palomino de Jerez variety of grape.

The harvest is usually gathered in the first week of September and takes around 20 days. The grapes are then fermented and alcohol added.

Sherry is made using The Solera System which is based on introducing younger wines to older wines, so that the young take on some of the character and flavour of the older ones.

Rows of butts are placed one top of another, the oldest vintage on the bottom and the youngest on the top. The wine is then drawn off from the lowest layer of the Solera to be blended and bottled after about three years. When it is being drawn off, the wine from above falls down. About one-third is drawn off at a time to allow the blending process to be continued year after year.

Oloroso ranges from amber to dark mahogany in colour and contain 17 to 22% alcohol making it more suitable to drink with red meat. The sweetness in Cream Sherry is achieved by adding Pedro Ximenez wines before bottling.

Manzanilla finos are exclusively from Sanlucar de Barrameda. Sherries can only be described as Manzanilla if they come from the bodegas there, which sit on the cliffs above the town where the Atlantic breeze blows in producing a slightly salty taste.