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Sherry

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Albariza, Palomino, flor and the solera, then the Sherry styles from Manzanilla to Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel.

All levels108 min15 stepsAbout Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO

Part of Spain

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  1. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO

    Region10 min

    Start with Sherry: fortified wine from white grapes grown around Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia.

  2. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of Origin

    Wine term10 min

    Next, the rules of Spain's first DO, established in 1933, and its certified age categories.

  3. Albariza: The White Chalky Soil of Jerez

    Terroir7 min

    Then albariza, the white chalky marl whose water retention carries Palomino vines through rainless summers.

  4. Palomino Fino

    Grape4 min

    Meet Palomino Fino, a low-acid, neutral grape that lets albariza and flor shape the wine.

  5. Sherry Fortification and Flor Yeast: The Biological Aging System

    Winemaking9 min

    See how fortification decides whether the flor veil survives, the split behind styles from Fino to Oloroso.

  6. Biological Aging Under Flor Yeast (Sherry Fino & Manzanilla)

    Wine term8 minWatch

    Then biological aging under flor, the process behind fino and manzanilla.

  7. Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda DO

    Region9 min

    See flor in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where Manzanilla has its own DO and a thicker, year-round veil.

  8. Solera System: Dynamic Ageing (Sherry, Madeira, Some Ports)

    Wine term8 min

    Now the solera, the fractional blending system fundamental to all sherry, where no barrel is ever fully drained.

  9. Amontillado: The Dry Sherry Aged Under Flor, Then Oxidatively

    Wine term8 min

    Amontillado starts as a Fino under flor, then loses it and ages oxidatively.

  10. Oxidative Aging Without Flor (Oloroso, Madeira Canteiro Method)

    Winemaking7 min

    Next, oxidative aging without flor, where fortification to 17 percent or more commits the wine to oxygen.

  11. Sherry Styles: Oloroso (No Flor, Fully Oxidative, Dry)

    Winemaking7 minWatch

    Oloroso, aged fully oxidatively with no flor and required by the DO to be dry.

  12. Palo Cortado

    Wine term6 min

    Palo Cortado, a rare dry style that begins under flor and then ages oxidatively, between Amontillado and Oloroso.

  13. Pedro Ximénez

    Grape3 min

    Turn to the sweet side with the Pedro Ximénez grape, sun-dried to concentrate its sugars.

  14. Pedro Ximénez

    Wine term6 min

    The PX wine itself: ebony and intensely sweet, much of it from Montilla-Moriles grapes shipped to Jerez for aging.

  15. Moscatel Sherry

    Wine term6 min

    Close with Moscatel de Jerez, a sweet, oxidatively aged style from about 1 percent of the appellation's plantings.

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