I wrote a really stunning piece on fino sherry last night, and when I attempted to post it on our MySpace, the damnable Internet ate every bit of the text. It was irretrievable. Needless to say, I was not best pleased about this, but I will attempt to cobble it back together for you as best I can.

As you may know, this week starts our informal series on exploring sherry. I know a few brave souls tried the Alvear's Fino last week, so I apologize for repeating myself, but even so it's worth another try now that you have some idea of what you're getting into. With that said:

Some Brief Notes on Sherry and its Origins

Firstly, the name. The region of Jerez de la Frontera has been continually occupied since at least the time of the Old Testament, when the Canaanite tribe known as the Phoenicians settled the area (probably bringing grapevines with them). The wine of the area was exported as early as the time of the Roman Empire, when the city and its product were called "Ceret" (pronounced "kair-ett"). This wine was not yet fortified, as distillation was a largely unknown practice.

Fast-forward to the Middle Ages, when southern Spain was part of the Muslim Moorish Empire; the city was called "Xerez", and its now-fortified wine was consumed even by the nominally teetotalling Muslim caliphs who ruled the region. After the Reconquista the newly-Christianized city was renamed "Jerez de la Frontera", since it marked the border between Christian and Muslim Spain. Fast-forward again, this time a couple of centuries, to the first rulers of a united Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. The aformentioned rulers are of course the ones who financed the exploratory voyages of a possibly Jewish Italian called Cristobal Colon, or, in English, Christopher Columbus. The wine he used both for ballast and for his crews' entertainment was, in fact, sherry, thus making it the first documented wine brought to America. (I say "documented" because the Vikings, the Irish, and the Basque cod fishermen all have legitimate claims to arriving in America centuries before Columbus, and if they didn't have wine with them on their voyages, I would be very surprised... however, they never bothered to mention it.)

Secondly, just what the hell is Sherry? Long story short: Sherry is a fortified wine produced from white-wine grapes including Palomino, Pedro Ximenez, Moscatel, and a few other varieties, which by law can only be produced in the area around the city of Jerez de la Frontera known as the Sherry Triangle. This explanation, while accurate, cannot hope to convey the massive subject that is sherry and sherry production. Since not all of you are going to want to slog through a detailed exposition of the solera system or the history of sherry, I will provide the following links which you may follow, or not, as you choose:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sherry


Lastly, the sherry we'll be trying today. The lightest and driest of the sherries, Fino is a pale, straw-colored wine that is unlike almost anything else in the world. Is it easy to drink? No, especially if you're not used to dry fortified wines. Is it good? Absolutely, if you are willing to rethink what wine is and what it's supposed to taste like. Western cooks and scientists tend to group flavors into four categories: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. The Japanese add a fifth category: "umami", or "savory". Fino sherry has an umami character. This can be a little daunting, so don't feel bad if you don't like it at first (or ever, for that matter). But I can vouch that there is nothing better in the world than a glass of ice-cold fino when you are sitting down to a plate of thinly sliced ham, strong cheeses, or briny seafood. Give it a go, see what you think, and let me know... if nothing else you've tried something new.

Today's selection is:

Alvear's Fino Montilla NV $15.99 SPAIN (Montilla)

Just to confuse the issue, our first Sherry is, well, not a sherry. Though made in the correct style for a fino sherry, Alvear's is located in the town of Montilla, just a little to the north of the Sherry Triangle, and thus the wine cannot legally be called Sherry. However, the Alvear's fino, being made from the superior Pedro Ximenez grape, is a better wine than many of the "true" sherries of the Sherry Triangle. Are you confused yet?

Pale silvery-gold in the glass, with a nose of aldehydes (think fresh-cut apples or toasted almonds) and a hint of bourbon-barrel aroma(!), and a grassy, slightly herbal palate featuring notes of soy, toasted bread, and olives. The finish is long and a little hot, which reinforces the bourbon tweak from the nose. Excellent but very challenging.


If penicillin can cure those who are ill, Spanish sherry can bring the dead back to life. --Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin (1881-1955)