Jerez and Sherry are synonyms of a tragically underappreciated wine. This is my first article of a mini-series dedicated to Sherry. Together we explore its glorious history, geography, climate and local grapes
“Sherry is coming back”. I hear this slogan at least a couple of times every year. Alas, the promise is never fulfilled. There are many fashions in the wine world (as in many other worlds), but Sherry is never the next big thing to stick around for more than a couple of weeks. Revered among sommeliers and geeky winelovers, Sherry doesn’t seem a wine for the masses. There might be some advantages in that – for example an outstanding Sherry generally costs two or three times less than an outstanding wine of another style. However it saddens me to see how overlooked this wine style is. Therefore, from my minute perspective, here’s my ode to Jerez and Sherry: a mini-series on my blog.
In this article and the next, I will be dealing with Jerez and Sherry. In this first part, I will offer an overview of the region’s history, its climate and grape varieties. In the second article, I will focus on the winemaking techniques that makes this place so special as well as the different Sherry styles available there.
A history spanning over 3000 years
Wine has been produced in the Jerez area for around three millennia. This makes Jerez Spain’s oldest wine growing region. The Phoenicians started viticulture in Jerez in the 10th century BC. The winemaking traditions continued under first the Roman then later the Arab (or “Moors”) domination. Under the Romans (whose control started around 138 BC) Jerez exported fine foods such as olive oil, garum (a paste made by salted fish) and the celebrated Vinum Ceretensis (Ceret was the Roman name for the city of Jerez).
Moorish rule started in 711 AD. In spite of the Qur’an prohibiting alcohol consumption, Jerez remained a prosperous winemaking area during Moorish domination. It’s thought that the word Sherry comes from Sherish, the Arab name for the city of Jerez.
After seven centuries of Moorish domination, the Christians conquered Andalusia in the 13th century. They revitalised viticulture. The Jerez area soon become an important port. Around this period, Sherry was largely exported to the UK. Since then, the UK has consistently been a large consumer of this fortified wine. William Shakespeare and Ben Johnson are renowned for mentioning Sherry in their work – and for being great drinkers of Sherry themselves.
The Sherry market thrived in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1498, Christopher Columbus sailed from Sanlucar de Barrameda. It was his third voyage towards the New Continent. In the following years, large quantities of Sherry were exported across the Atlantic route. Some argue that Sherry might have been the first wine to enter America.
The sherry industry experienced its ups and downs during the 16th and 17th centuries, with a serious downturn during the 18th century. Conflicts between Spain and England, internal turmoil caused by the Peninsular Wars (1808 – 1814) and then the phylloxera plague brought the Sherry industry on the verge of collapse by the end of the 19th century. Jerez’s difficult situation was further worsened by the surge of numerous “Sherry” imitations in South Africa, Australia, France and Germany.
The rise of the modern Sherry
It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that people finally realised something needed to be done to safeguard the wines made in Jerez. In 1910, the leading Sherry producers formed the Sherry Shipper Association with the goal of restoring the prosperity of this wine style. But the real turning point occurred in 1933, when a Consejo Regulador was instituted to protect and control the Sherry industry. Two years later, the Sherry DO appellation was established.
The consolidation work carried out in the early decades of the 19th century shaped Sherry as we know it today. The practice of ageing the wine in butts became legal, resulting in more complex Sherry. Similarly, fortification was integrated into Sherry’s trademark. The Solera system was perfectioned and introduced into the appellation rules. As a consequence, in the early 1900s, Jerez attracted a number of British shippers and foreign merchants which contributed to the growth of the region and its wines.
However, the fate of Jerez’s fortified wines continued to be tumultuous. During the Second World War, sales collapsed. The situation later improved. But in the 1980s, the Sherry industry was again in decline and its total vineyard area became smaller and smaller.
In the 2000s, the Sherry scene was revitalised by the introduction of new categories of high quality wines (VOS and VORS). Furthermore, a handful of exceptional producers decided to focus on quality, bringing some top-end Sherry to the market, and pricing them accordingly. Despite the enthusiasm of sommeliers and wine professionals about the new generation of Sherry, its image hasn’t changed much in the eyes of the general public.
Geography and climate
The Jerez region lies in the western part of Andalusia, Spain’s southernmost province. The area is a triangle whose vertices are the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda. Incidentally, these are also the three historical towns for Sherry production and maturation.
The Jerez region enjoys specific climatic conditions. The winters are mild and the summers scorchingly hot and sunny (it’s not unusual for temperatures to hit 40º C). In spite of the hot Mediterranean climate, the amount of precipitation Jerez receives is high. With an average of 635 mm per year, Jerez experiences the same level of rainfall as Oxford in England!
Two winds are famous in Jerez. Blowing from the Atlantic on the west, the poniente brings humidity and a cooling effect. The levante comes from the opposite direction, the Spanish inland on the east, bringing hot air and drier conditions. The two winds, poniente and levante, meet in Jerez and contribute to the peculiar environmental conditions that allow the unique biological ageing of Sherry wines.
To complete the picture of such a distinguished terroir, I must mention Jerez’s soil: Albariza. With a high percentage of chalk, the soil is white in colour. Its light colour is beneficial under the native hot conditions as it reflects light and prevents sunburns. It’s also a poor soil, hence ideal for viticulture. Albariza’s most important aspect is its draining capability. This type of soil retains water easily but is also capable of releasing it when needed – such as the hottest months of the year. Moreover, to prevent water dispersion, pits (called aserpia) are dug between vine rows during the winter months to conserve rainfall. During summer months, Albariza creates a solid crust on the topsoil, allowing water to be trapped underneath and preventing evaporation.
Grape varieties of Jerez
Under the regulations, three grapes varieties are allowed for the production of Sherry: palomino fino, moscatel and pedro ximénez. They are all white varietals.
Palomino fino
- Accounts for the lion’s share; around 95% of the vineyard’s area
- Has a natural low acidity and neutral flavours
- For this reason, palomino is ideal to create Sherry wines, where the flavours are determined by the peculiar winemaking process rather than the grape
Pedro ximénez (PX)
- Grown in Jerez or in the neighboring region of Montilla-Moriles
- Non-aromatic variety with high level of natural sugar
- Ideal for sweet wine: it has thin skin and higher acidity than palomino
- Usually sun-dried to concentrate sugar, acidity and flavours
- Used for the production of sweet Sherry or for the intensely sweet Pedro Ximenes style (where PX is not blended with other varieties)
Moscatel (Muscat of Alexandria)
- Produced and used in tiny quantities
- Aromatic grape variety
- Provides hints of peach and floral undertones
What’s next
This first article dedicated to Jerez and Sherry covered the history of the region, geography, climate and the grape varieties allowed by the regulations. In my next part, I will deal with what I believe makes Sherry so unique and interesting: its winemaking process. I will also explain the different styles of Sherry and what to expect from each of them.
While you cool your heels waiting for my next article, I suggest a nice glass of Manzanilla Sherry or, if you feel bolder, a terrific Oloroso. If you want to know what I’m blathering about, you just have to click here and read the second part! By the way, make your life easier and subscribe to my newsletter below… you will receive updates about my upcoming releases!
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