SHERRY

Question 1

what sherries are biologically aged only?

Answer 1

fino and manzanilla

Question 2

what is the fortified % of biologically aged sherries?

Answer 2

15-15.5

Question 3

which biologically aged sherries are dry? and which are sweet?

Answer 3

dry: fino and manzanilla
sweet: pale cream (RCGM addition)

Question 4

what does RCGM mean and when do they use it for sherry production?

Answer 4

rectified concentrated grape must.
winemakers will use it to add sugar making a sweet biologically aged sherry.

Question 5

what are the three main grapes for sherry production?

and what are their characteristics?

Answer 5

palomino - the most planted grape, produces white wines that are low in acid and lack obvious varietals aromas. sherry production determined by either biological or oxidative maturation

pedro ximenez - thin skinned black grape that also lacks varieties flavour. Thin skin is ideal for sun drying and used for sweet sherry production. Very little planted in Jerez. Most grapes come from neighbouring region Montilla-Moriles

muscat of alexandria - very little grown, used for sweet wines

Question 6

what is a dry biologically + oxidatively aged sherry?

Answer 6

amontillado

palo cortado

Question 7

what is a sweet + biologically aged sherry? and how does it get sweet?

Answer 7

medium , with the addition of pedro ximinez wine

Question 8

what is a dry oxidatively aged sherry?

Answer 8

olorosso

Question 9

what is the climate in jerez?

Answer 9

hot, sunny and mediterranean although
vineyards are near the coast are on average a little cooler and benefit from the cool westerly wind known as poniente.

rainfall is higher here than other spanish regions, but limited during the growing season.

Question 10

what is the soil type in jerez and why is it important?

What do farmers do in order to get the most out of this soil?

Answer 10

Albariza!

Very high chalk content and distinctive white colour

It provides excellent drainage, it’s depth and water holding capacity means that it can store enough water to sustain the vines during dry hot summers.

Moisture retention is further enchanted in the summer when the albariza soil forms a hard crust that limits evaporation from the soil.

Farmers will dig rectangular pits during the autumn and winter between rows of vines to trap water and reduce run-off

Question 11

How do winemakers first handle the grapes and fermentation for a dry style of sherry?

Answer 11

palomino grapes are picked
high temps during harvest time so the grapes have to reach the press as soon as possible to avoid oxidation

fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks from temps ranging 22-26c (higher for a typical while wine but suites the aim of producing a neutral base wine)

base wine is dry and approx 11-12%abv

Question 12

explain first classification in sherry making.

what’s the simple guide for grapes grown where/what style they may classify as.

Answer 12

during the autumn the wines(base wines from palomino) are classified into 2 types.
biological aging and oxidative again
typically wines that are paler, lighter and with more fineness are sent for biological ageing while heavier wines are selected for oxidative again
flor will have started to develop at this point.

wine made from grapes grown in cooler coastal vineyards(fermented at lower temperature) more likely suited for biological aging.

wines made from grapes grown in warmer inland vineyards (fermented at a high temperature) more suited for oxidative aging.

Question 13

what happened after classification in sherry production?

Answer 13

wines are fortified using a 95% abv neutral spirit. The wines are then set aside for a few months before they’re incorporated into a solvers system
this is known as sobretabla

Question 14

what % are wines fortified to for biological and oxidative styles?

Answer 14

biological: 15-15.5 (so flor can develop)

oxidative: 17, so floor dies

Question 15

what’s the process for naturally sweet style of sherry?

Answer 15

grapes are picked and sun-dried to concentrate their sugar levels. This process also develops flavours of raisins.

once the desired must weight is achieved, the grapes are pressed and fermentation starts. The grapes yield such a high concentrated juice that the yeast struggles to ferment the sugars and rarely manage more than a few degrees of alcohol.
once fermentation has stopped, the mist is fortified to 17% abv.

Question 16

what does sherry have to be aged in? and why?

Answer 16

600-litre oak barrels called butts. These butts are very old as the flavours of oak are not desirable in these wines.
oak is needed to allow oxygen to reach the wine, and is further encouraged as the butts are only 5th/6th full.

Question 17

what does a traditional bodega look like?

Answer 17

thick, white washed walls, high ceilings and windows that point toward the cooling poniete winds, helping to maintain a cool environment.
earth floors are kept damp to help maintain the correct humidity.
some bodegas have air conditioning.

Question 18

describe flor and biological aging

Answer 18

biological aging requires the presence of flor.

flor is made up of a number of yeast strains which form a think layer on the surface of the wine.

flor needs precise levels of alcohol, temp, and humidity to thrive.

they feed off the alcohol and other nutrients in the wine and oxygen in the atmosphere to produce carbon dioxide and acetaldehyde

acetaldehyde gives sherry their unique flavour.

flor grows vigorously in the spring and autumn and dies back in winter and summer.

Question 19

describe fino and manzanilla: appearance and flavours
what makes them different from each other?

Answer 19

these wines have undergone biological aging.

they are pale lemon in colour and have aromas of citrus fruits, almonds and herbs, with bready notes which come from flor.

they do not improve in bottle and should be drunk as fresh as possible.

manzanilla: wines that are matured in the coastal town of sanlucar de barramada qualify as manzanilla de barrameda. made in the same way as fino but with the more cooler and humid contituons from the coast, a thicker layer of flor develops and has a more intensely tangy, salty aroma.

manzanilla is most famous for the fino style wine called manzanilla fina.