The land

The Jerez triangle sits in southwestern Spain, in the Andalusian province of Cádiz. The three points are Jerez de la Frontera (the historical center), Sanlúcar de Barrameda (on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Guadalquivir), and El Puerto de Santa María (on the bay of Cádiz). The defining soil is albariza — a brilliant white chalk that reflects sunlight back onto the vines, retains water for the dry summer, and gives Sherry its distinctive mineral spine. The Atlantic influence is significant, especially in Sanlúcar where the cooler maritime climate produces Manzanilla.

The grapes

Palomino (see /encyclopedia/grapes-encyclopedia/palomino-encyclopedia/) accounts for roughly 95% of plantings — the foundation of every dry Sherry. Pedro Ximénez (see /encyclopedia/grapes-encyclopedia/pedro-ximenez-encyclopedia/) and Moscatel make the sweet styles, generally sun-dried on grass mats before pressing.

The styles

Two great families of dry Sherry. Biological (under flor yeast): Fino (Jerez), Manzanilla (Sanlúcar — same wine, different microclimate produces a saltier style), Amontillado (begins biological, ages oxidatively after flor dies). Oxidative (no flor): Oloroso (the richest dry style), Palo Cortado (the rare middle path between Amontillado and Oloroso). Sweet styles: Pedro Ximénez (PX), Moscatel, Cream Sherry (a sweetened Oloroso). VOS (Very Old Sherry, 20+ years) and VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry, 30+ years) bottlings are some of the most distinctive aged wines made.

The solera system

Sherry is aged using the solera system — a fractional-blending method where a small fraction of the oldest wine (the bottom row, or solera) is drawn off for bottling each year, then replaced from the row above, and so on up through the criaderas. Every bottle of Sherry from a solera contains wine of multiple ages, going back as far as the solera has existed (some are 100+ years old). This gives Sherry its characteristic consistency and complexity.

Producers we know

Equipo Navazos (the modern Sherry revival project that has rediscovered and bottled some of the great old soleras), Lustau, González Byass (Tio Pepe), Williams & Humbert, Hidalgo La Gitana, Valdespino, Toro Albalá (Don PX), Bodegas Tradición, Barbadillo (Manzanilla).