It's SHERRY TIME-Get to Know the Spanish Wine Better

With the holidays in full swing, hosting the main event can be challenging. We all try to plan menus with just the right foods, and find the best beverages to accompany them. This season, bring Sherry along for festive feasts to create the perfect pairing.

Sherry differs depending on the producer and style, making sure there are a lot of options for even the choosiest guest. The four main styles to focus on this season are Manzanilla, Fino, Oloroso, and Cream Sherry. Learn about them and check out the pairing suggestions too!

Fino Sherry is a biologically-aged, dry, white wine, produced in Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María. Palomino grapes are aged under a layer of yeast called veil de flor, then stored in American oak butts using the traditional solera y criaderas system.

Suggested pairing: This style of sherry is known for complimenting most food pairings thanks to its savory nature. Some stand out food pairing for the holiday season are turkey, sweet potato, and gravy.

Manzanilla Sherry is a dry white wine made from palomino grapes. This style of sherry is identical to the Fino style, however is exclusively made in Sanlucar de Barrameda, making it a DO as well. This town is the perfect place for production because of the River Guadalquivir which marks a natural boundary to the north, the Atlantic Ocean into which the river flows and borders the town to the west, and the Marisma- an extensive stretch of wetland on the former river delta which is completely flat.

Suggested pairing: This crowd pleaser can be paired with prime rib, stuffing, and green beans.

Oloroso Sherry is an oxidatively-aged, dry, white wine using the second pressing of Palomino grapes. This rich wine is made in Andalucia in Jerez, Spain. The term Oloroso means fragrant, promising a powerful nose. Some aromas and notes you can expect to notice are dried fruits, leather, and exotic spices. Although noted as a naturally dry fortified wine, there are naturally sweet Oloroso, usually vintage sherry.

Suggested pairing: Some stand out food pairings for the holiday season include ham, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts.

Pedro Ximenez is an oxidatively aged, sweet, white wine made from Pedro Ximénez grapes that have been concentrated by sun-drying. Fortified and aged in the solera system, this wine is almost black in color, sweet with pronounced dried fruit flavors.

Suggested pairing: Add this wine to any desert table and make any sweet treat taste even better.

To learn more about Sherry wines, the professionals who make it happen, the region, and more news, please visit https://www.sherry.wine/.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Producers, Amontillado del Castillo and Bodegas Hidalgo