Granny was onto something right…(sherry)

PX, Morenita (cream), Marques de Rodil (Palo Cortado), La Panesa (Fino especial). All from Bodega Emilio Hidalgo, Jerez de la Frontera.

I’m sure that many of you, when you hear the word “sherry”, start thinking about a nasty, sweet wine your grandmother or another old lady of your childhood was drinking. But sherry is a lot more than that, and it is a shame, that it is so “uncool” to drink. A friend and sherry expert even suggests, that it marketing-wise would be smart to change the name “sherry” to something else to prevent people’s prejudice before trying this wonderful wine from Southern Spain. But now, finally, sherry is getting more and more attention. Sherry bars are popping up in many cities all over the world and wine experts praise sherry very highly. Sherry is made in the Cadiz province, in the área between Jerez de la Frontera, San Lucar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa María, where it is a wine making tradition that goes back 3000 years. There are many kinds of sherries; a wide range from really, really sweet to ultra-dry.

My favourites are the dry ones. The dry sherries are perfect with fish, sea food, cured ham and any kinds of food prepared in the deep fryer, where it freshens up and cleans your palette.  My new favourite pairing is sushi & sherry, which is quite lucky, since the new food market in Vejer has a sushi take-away and sherry bar just opposite each other….:-)

My first “sherry-crush” was on an old fino…. “La Panesa – fino especial”. It is a dry sherry with a lot of volume and a nutty flavour from the winery Bodega Emilio Hidalgo. This small family bodega dates back to mid 1800. It is a family with a great traditions and passion for their trade and offers many beautiful wines amongst others an exquisite sweet sherry, Morenita, which is a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Jimenez. http://www.hidalgo.com/

Are you not familiar with the world of sherries, but would like to know more, I can recommend this video, which explains about the wine making, the different types of sherries, pairing and more in only 9,5 minutes:

You should make it one of the things you have to try out in 2015. If you are not planning on visiting the Spanish sherry area, then go to your local wine shop and ask for advice. I’m sure that you will find that these old women weren’t that wrong after all;-)

Photo: Lykke Rump