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WSET Level 4 D5: Fortified Wine > 2: Sherry > Flashcards

Flashcards in 2: Sherry Deck (17)
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1
Q

Where is Sherry made?

A

in the area around the city of Jerez in Andalusia

2
Q

To when does the history of growing grapes and producing wines in the Jerez area date back?

A

to the rule of the Phoenicians

3
Q

What happened during the period of Moorish rule from the 8th to the 13th centuries?

A

wine consumption was prohibited, but vineyards and wine production continued

4
Q

After Jerez came under Christian rule in the 13th century, what happened to the wine industry?

A
  • both domestic consumption and exports grew rapidly as English, Irish and Flemish traders began to ship the wines
  • wines further benefitted from free trade agreements with France and England
5
Q

When did they start shipping large volumes of Sherry to America?

A

after Christopher Columbus had discovered America from his base in Andalusía

6
Q

What 2 historic events devastated the Sherry industry?

A
  • the Peninsular Wars

- the plague of phylloxera

7
Q

When were regulations set to control the production and trading of Sherry wines? Why?

A
  • 1933
  • popularity of Sherry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries meant that other countries began to produce their own, often poor-quality
8
Q

What is the name of the Regulatory Council that set the regulations for Sherry production?

A

Consejo Regulador

9
Q

What happened to Sherry sales during the Second World War? What happened after that?

A
  • fell

- recovered

10
Q

When did Sherry sales reach their peak? How much was sold?

A
  • 1970s

- 1.5 million hL (1979)

11
Q

What was a problem during the boom years?

A
  • the production of Sherry rose dramatically
  • demand decreased
  • surplus of cheap Sherry that had not been produced with quality in mind
12
Q

What company played a key part in the supply and demand fluctuations in Sherry?

A

Ruiz Mateos S.A., also known as Rumasa

13
Q

How did Rumasa start? How did it become so powerful?

A
  • almacenista, before starting to ship its own Sherry in 1950
  • supply Harveys of Bristol with wine
  • major supplier for their Bristol Cream
  • taking over a number of Sherry bodegas, hotels and banks
14
Q

How did Rumasa drive down Sherry prices?

A

through consolidation of production facilities

15
Q

What lead to Rumasa’s downfall? When?

A
  • 1983
  • government nationalised Rumasa claiming that it owed millions in unpaid taxes
  • Sherry bodegas were sold causing a substantial rise in unemployment and social unrest
16
Q

How did Rumasa’s downfall impact the Sherry industry?

A

a large number of other bodegas closed or were sold and merged as they were unable to sustain themselves in a marked burdened with large quantities of low-quality wines and a market that was based on inexpensive brands

17
Q

At a high level, that does the Consejo Regulador do? Why?

A
  • brings vineyard plantings, stock levels and sales back into balance
  • promote the quality of Sherry