Too much sherry

Now where was I? Last week, we addressed the beginnings of the wine industry in Jerez, and how wine production and flavour preferences were influenced by various civilizations.

Sherry, as we know it today, resulted from the loss of a major market. Up to the mid-15th century, the vast majority of the wine from this region was exported to England. In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Falstaff is greatly enamored to sack, which was what wine from Sherry was called in England. Even today, you can purchase a sherry named Dry Sack. The war between Phillip of Spain and Elizabeth of England, however, proscribed trade between both nations. The unsold wine evolved into a precursor of what sherry would eventually become.

The second European conflict that had a final influence on sherry, and especially how we identify sherry today, was the Napoleonic Wars. As markets changed, the region experimented with the planting of the palomino, Pedro Ximenez and muscatel grape varietals—moving away from plantings of torrontes and malmsey fruit. These new plantings, coupled with recognition of the chalk albariza soil as ideal terroir, brought about exceptional wines influenced by the region’s natural yeast flor. The wines were named Fino because of their freshness and fine delicate style.

Both these conflicts left sherry merchants sitting with excess stock. As they observed the increasing market share of fortified wines from northern Portugal, they determined to do likewise. In the initial stages, however they were left with enormous stocks of wine. As their wine aged, it began to oxidize and display nutty overtones. After what few orders for bottles were filled, merchants would top-up the partially empty barrel with wine from a recent vintage. This method had been practiced in the Rhineland for centuries, and was the genesis of fractional blending, from which the solera method was developed.

Wine makers in Jerez recognized the tremendous effect that this blending system had on their wine—it reactivated the yeast flor, creating flavour profiles and aromas that meant a more complex wine, and allowed the wine maker to create a more distinct wine from year to year. The system developed into an art form.

Next week, we discuss the solera system in layman’s terms, along with the final step in the fortification of sherry.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I recently had a superb dinner at Waupoos Winery, and was thoroughly taken by their 2103 Pinot Gris—a really charming wine that satisfies the senses, and is a perfect summer thirst quencher.

I also visited Domaine Darius and snagged a bottle of their incredible 1679 wine, a stunning tribute to Newfoundland’s association with port wine.

And while on the wine trail, it’s worth your while to stop by to taste and purchase a bottle (or two) of Traynor’s recently released Sauvignon Blanc, crafted to display all the best nuances of this varietal.