Hello friends!

I'm in a wonderful mood for several reasons. First of all, it's a day off! Secondly, tomorrow is a day off again! Thirdly, New Year is coming soon! And, fourthly, I had a glass of the real Spanish Manzanilla sherry, enjoyed its unique taste and aroma, and had a most interesting conversation with the bartender who knows everything about sherry.

Based on his recommendations, I looked for notes of bird cherry in the aroma (I found it!), an almond-nut and floral tone in the taste, and spent a long time studying the incomparable aftertaste. Now I know exactly what sherry is, how and with what to drink its varieties (and this is a whole art!), and how much you can drink this wonderful drink.

Let me start with the fact that the Spaniards believe this: if you want sherry to be beneficial, you need to drink it in the amount of 1 ml per 1 kg of body weight. That is, for my 80 kg I need 80 ml. If you drink more, there will be little benefit, and the path to alcoholism will begin.

The fact is that sherry is a fortified wine; it is mainly drunk on an empty stomach as an aperitif and is very intoxicating. By the way, he has the title “king of aperitifs”. Sweet brands are served with desserts, and during the meal you should drink regular table white wine or dry varieties of sherry itself. But more on that later.

So what is this sherry?

The original sherry is a fortified wine made from white grape varieties, produced only in one region of Spain - Jerez, located in the province of Andalusia. Only three grape varieties are used to make it: Pedro Ximenez, Palomino and Moscatel.

The resulting drink has three names: the Spanish Jerez, the English Sherry and the French Xérès. Usually all three are written on the label.

All those Soviet wines that were called sherries (Donskoy, Kubansky, Tamansky, Tarki-Tau, Chimgan, Ashtarak, Oreanda, Crimean, Yantar, Ialoveni, Derbent) were close in taste and strength to the original, but the production technology was completely different. In fact, it was an ordinary white fortified wine.

And only sherry from the Crimean Massandra plant was produced (and is now produced) using almost complete sherry technology.

The strength of original sherry varies between 19 and 21 degrees, and the drink is made using the technology of wort fermentation under a special film created by sherry yeast. This film is called flor (fleur), it protects the wine from contact with atmospheric oxygen and prevents oxidative processes.

Sherry in barrels always takes up no more than a third of the volume. Some varieties of this wine - Amontillado and Oloroso - are partially aged without flor or only part of the surface is covered with a film (this is the so-called oxidative aging).

These varieties have a dark amber color, a nutty flavor and a chewy consistency. Those wines that are aged entirely under flor are classified as Fino, they are light and clean (due to self-clarification during aging) and have a piquant taste.

Growing grapes for sherry

An interesting technology for growing grapes for sherry. They do this, as I mentioned, only in one area, where there are very poor calcareous soils (albaris), which are rich in chalk and other calcium compounds.

The main variety grown there is Palomino. The second part of the grapes of this variety is grown on soil called barros, in which, on the contrary, there is no calcium at all. The soil is light gray in color and looks like cement.

The remaining two varieties grow in red Arenas soils. The peculiarity of this area with such different soils (there are very old mountains there) is the intense summer heat. Therefore, the grape bunches are located at the very bottom of the bush, where there is at least some shade.

But by the end of ripening they practically lie on the hot ground. And when they begin to turn into raisins, then they are suddenly (by the entire population in a couple of days) removed from the bushes and taken to factories, where they are thoroughly washed, the berries are separated from the stalks, a wort is made and poured into new oak barrels for the first fermentation.

By the way, these barrels are then used for cooking Martini, brandy And cognacs.

After the end of fermentation, in early spring, the resulting wine is assessed for quality, divided into Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso varieties, fortified and poured into other new barrels and the required amount of flora is added.

There is another variety - the lowest quality Raya, which is distilled into alcohol for brandy. There were years when there was less sunshine than usual, and almost half of the wines were used for alcohol, or even vinegar.

Varieties and varieties of sherry

Sherries are divided into 4 groups (the first and second are basic):

1. Vinos Generosos (dry sherry). These include varieties Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso.
2. Vinos Dulces Naturales (natural sweet sherries). Varieties: Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez and Dulce.
3. Vinos Generosos de Licor (blended or liqueur sherries). Varieties Pale Cream, Dry, Medium, Cream.
4. Sherry derivatives - with the addition of other ingredients. There are a lot of them. The most famous is the Acapulco sherry cocktail.

The peculiarity of sherry labels is that there is always a lot of text on them, which is difficult for even a specialist to understand. Therefore, you need to find one of the names listed above - and so determine the variety.

They are the ones who label the sherry, while the commercial name may even be “from the lantern” - whatever comes to the mind of the manufacturer at the time of ordering the label.

Well, that's how they are, hot Spaniards. Or does the heat have that effect? Or sherry?!

About drinking sherry

According to experts, sherry has strong tonic properties. A kind of inspiring alcoholic “Red Bull” with a centuries-old history - the first mentions of it date back to the 17th century BC (!).

In the 19th century (our era, during the time of Pushkin), sherry was even considered a medicinal drink; it was sold in pharmacies according to prescriptions and drank with spoons before meals to improve digestion and recovery from illness. In addition, sherry pharmacists made their herbal medicines.

As modern scientists have already proven, sherry can reduce the risk of cholesterol plaques forming on the walls of blood vessels, forming a film that does not allow bad cholesterol to settle. Oh, I feel so good – I can really feel how protected my blood vessels are! And the sherry components cleanse the liver of toxins. Just remember: 1 ml per 1 kg of weight!

As an aperitif, dry varieties of the drink are used, in their pure form, without snacks. Sweet varieties are served with desserts. Cocktails are also made based on them. Sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry is considered the best accompaniment to coffee and cigars. This is what was served to celebrities on the Titanic after Jack Dawson's memorable dinner.

Having studied the rules for drinking sherry, I realized that the law “1 ml - 1 kg” applies only to an aperitif. And while eating, you can and should drink it from tall, narrow, crystal glasses of 70-100 ml, shaped like a tulip.

You need to pour a little more than half, and before sipping, wet the walls of the glass with wine to enjoy the magnificent aroma. You can serve sherry with any dish: meat, fish, salads, smoked meats - it does not overwhelm the taste of the food (unlike other wines).

There is even a proverb in Spain: “Every chicken and trout dreams of saying goodbye to this world next to a glass of sherry.” Dry varieties are best drunk chilled to 10 degrees, and sweet varieties at room temperature.

Crimean sherry Massandra

Great tasting drink recognized by the Spaniards real sherry, also usually served chilled, goes well with elite cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables and baked meats. The drink has the taste of roasted bitter almonds, vanilla and cognac.

Production began in 1944, when the Soviet leadership was presented with the original recipe for making this drink, sherry yeast, as well as seedlings of special grapes adapted to Crimean conditions: Albillo, Verdelho and Sercial.

Massandra sherry is aged for 4 years, making it one of the elite drinks. He has many international awards, including 11 gold medals from prestigious competitions.

Spanish sherry is not a cheap pleasure. A bottle of Pedro Ximénez nectar costs from 2500 to 3500 rubles. But the collection sherry Massandra can cost as much as 5000-6000.

A bottle of the original drink, aged 4 years, sells for 620 rubles on the company website. It is better to buy from a trusted place, as there are a lot of fakes on the market.

Am I going to buy sherry? Not yet, probably. Tasty, interesting, but not very impressive. There are hundreds more drinks waiting for me to explore.

I'll save money on them too. And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog - there are many interesting experiments on yourself ahead. This is how I am, a modest Russian hero. Goodbye everybody!

Port and other fortified wines (sherry, Madeira) evoke dubious associations more often than positive ones. At worst, you imagine hooligans with a bottle of 777 in the gateway; at best, frantic celebrations, after which no one remembers anything. At the same time, real, serious port-sherry wines are, by inertia, “put in one pile” with the swill from Pyaterochka. And in vain, because the difference between them is huge. Real port wine is not a sweet wine with alcohol, it is an interesting thing, with a lot of nuances, you can sit with a glass and enjoy it. It's time to sort out the misconceptions about fortified drinks so that the pleasures don't pass you by.

1. Port and other comrades are wine made with alcohol

Yes, to make fortified wine, you need alcohol. Only in the production of cheap port-sherry wines, alcohol is involved, and it’s clear why - so that the degree is higher and so that you get drunk faster. And take regular ethyl alcohol, add it to simple wine or juice, then add more sugar. Sometimes all this is infused with oak shavings, for greater astringency and to impart “subtle woody nuances”. The result is sweet, boozy, cheap.

Real ports, sherries, and Madeiras are made differently. The alcohol used is not just any kind, but grape alcohol; it is specially produced for this purpose. Wine needs it for important processes to happen there (more on this below). No sugar is added; if port sherry is sweet, it is only due to the sugar contained in the grapes themselves. Fortified wines are kept in barrels for years - there the taste and aroma are refined and become richer: for example, vanilla, chocolate, and expensive tobacco appear. The result is an unusual wine, vivid impressions.

2. They drink fortified wine when they need to get drunk, but without vodka.

Many in their youth experienced port wines or sherry from a stall - and since then it has been ingrained in their minds that this is not consumed for the sake of taste. Or rather, this is a convenient way to get drunk, because it is sweet and easy, and at the same time effective. Real port-sherry wines are a different story; it’s simply a shame to get drunk on them. Because from the first sip, the taste captivates you and you want to savor it, sniff it, and then hide the bottle in the kitchen cabinet and enjoy yourself blissfully in the evenings. It happens when you smell some kind of creme brulee, when memories from childhood come flooding back. In general, such things are drunk for pleasure and taste. And the fortified ones taste very different: there are berry-enveloping, brutal-sea, thoughtful-nutty. If you decide to get into the topic, don’t get bored.

3. Port, sherry, Madeira - all the same

There is hardly any wild difference between fake “port”, “sherry” and “Madeira”. But the real ones have a couple of common points, but in general they differ in both production method and taste.

What common:

Firstly, each fortified drink has only one place of production, this is enshrined in law; such a drink can only be made there and nowhere else. They did something similar in another place - well done, but don’t write the word “sherry” on the label (but Russians can do anything, yes), because you won’t get the same wine in another place. Even if you have mastered the technology exactly, you cannot copy the climate, but it affects the taste of grapes and wine. Port wines are made only in Portugal near the city of Porto in the Douro River Valley, sherry in the south of Spain in the Andalusia region, Madeira in Portugal on the island of Madeira.

Secondly, ports, sherries, and Madeiras are created with the participation of grape alcohol. It is added at a strictly defined moment. First, the grape juice begins to ferment - the sugar in it slowly turns into alcohol under the action of yeast. After a couple of days, the process needs to be stopped until all the sugar has become alcohol and a little remains for sweetness. It is alcohol that stops fermentation; this addition of alcohol is called fortification. After fixing, the wine goes into aging. This is how they make fortified sweets, but sometimes they also make dry ones. It is made in the same way, only fermentation is stopped later, when there is almost no sugar left, and then also for aging. But each of the fortified ones has its own, special endurance, about it below.

What's different:

Firstly, grapes are completely different. And even if it were the same - the climate and soils in Madeira and Andalusia, for example, are completely different, and they greatly influence the taste of the grapes, and the same wine would still not come out.

Secondly, excerpt. Before aging we have a simple strong wine, after it it has a rich taste and aroma. Port wines are kept in barrels from 2 years to plus infinity. The longer you go, the less density and berries there become, but there are more stylish dried fruits and nuts. Sherries are aged under a film of special yeast, then in barrels using a special system. A couple of times a year, part of the mature sherry is poured from barrels into bottles for sale and younger sherry is added to these barrels - “fresh blood” tones, and sherry tirelessly works on itself, moves towards perfection, and not just towards old age. Well, Madeira is kept in barrels, which are left in the heat for several months so that the sugar caramelizes - either it is sent to a heat chamber, or on the roof under the sun.

The worst thing. Not only are sherries different from ports, but each type of fortified wine has its own subtypes, which also differ from each other.

Port wines:

There are red, white, pink. Red ones are ruby ​​and tawny. Ruby feels like a thick, sweetish wine with all sorts of tempting chocolate cherries; it is kept in a barrel for only 2-3 years, which is why it is juicy and sweet. Tawny is not as thick, less vinous and sweet, there are more nuts and dried fruits because it has been kept in the barrel longer.

White ports (branco) come in dry, semi-dry and sweet varieties. There are flowers, fruits, gardens everywhere, but in dry white ports there are gardens under the fresh breeze, and in sweet ones there is honey and molasses. Dry ones are good with ice on hot days, and sweet ones by an imaginary fireplace on cold evenings.

They started making pink ports quite recently; they are all cherry-raspberry frivolity, because they are not aged in a barrel at all. This is precisely why the Portuguese spent a couple of years deciding whether it was port wine or not.

Sherries:

This is a white fortified wine, but you wouldn’t guess it right away - most sherries have a red or even dark brown color. Sherries come in dry and sweet varieties.

Dry: fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, palo cortado. Listed in order of decreasing lightness and increasing “fat content”, fino is very piercing and apple-iodine, and the further down the list, the more nuts, dried herbs and apples, all dried fruit.

Sweet sherries: medium, pale cream, cream, pedro ximenez. Listed in order of increasing sweetness and the number of any nuances in taste and aroma. The medium is minimalistic - fruits, honey, iodine. And then things went on: caramel, chocolate, then elite cola in a glass, then mumiyo.

Madeira:

Actually, it is correctly called Madeira, in honor of the island on which it is made, but the word “Madeira” has stuck with us. This is a fortified white, but, as with sherry, you won’t immediately guess - Madeiras are always red or brown. Range - from dry to sweet. In dry iodine with dried fruits and the main feature of Madeira is caramel, but it’s harsh, as if the sugar was scorched on a fire. In sweet Madeira, caramel is tender, besides it there are peaches, dates and other fruity delights.

4. No food needed here

In exuberant youth, port wines and sherry are consumed with chocolates and suspicious chips. In sedate adult life, they often drink on their own, a glass after a meal. Because you won’t immediately understand what food to drink it with. Although he loves fortified food, the main thing is to know the right combinations and not be afraid to invent your own.

Here are a couple of examples. Ruby port (cherry, sweet) is good with burgers, where the cutlets are larger; a more aristocratic option is tenderloin or duck with berry sauce. Dry sherries love food with garlic, from grilled chicken to just a garlic baguette. And sweet sherry and Madeira will turn morning pancakes into the perfect Saturday breakfast for an adult. If you need to delve deeper into the topic, here is a practical guide.

In general, the advice is to cast aside doubts, look for a nice bottle of fortified wine and be enchanted. To ensure that everything goes to the highest level, there are a couple more points. Don’t be afraid, pour the fortified wine into regular wine glasses, just a little at a time. If you like it and decide to continue practicing, you can buy it. They are called snifters, the shape is thought out so that the fortified drink is comfortable to drink: you can feel all the notes without inhaling alcohol. And the main thing is that such wines should be drunk cool, sweet ones should be put in the refrigerator half an hour before the X moment, dry ones an hour before. Or just keep the bottle in the refrigerator and enjoy it a little at a time for a week or two, the wine will be fine and will not fade. So loving fortified drinks is also beneficial - just one bottle will provide more than one wonderful evening.

To help everyone who wants to understand wine and read about it in human language - the service . There, all our Moscow adult readers will receive a gift - two correct wine glasses with their first order.

Sherry is a Spanish wine made from white grapes grown in Andalusia. The drink has a bright, rich taste. Alcohol content is about 20 degrees. The production of Sherry uses its own method of fermentation under the influence of flora and special yeast. Thanks to this, the wine has a unique taste and has a persistent, rich aroma.

Sherry is one of the best drinks for aperitifs, but despite this, the drink can be served throughout the entire meal. Unlike other aperitifs, it goes great with smoked meat and fish appetizers. These snacks not only do not spoil its taste, but also complement its unique taste and aroma.

When drinking sherry, there are three basic rules that it is advisable to adhere to. So, how to drink Sherry correctly?

The first thing you need to pay attention to is choosing the right glasses. In Spain, in reputable restaurants, glasses for Jerez are served tall, oblong, reminiscent of a tulip. In a regular party, you can use tall, narrow glasses that are suitable for white wine. Then the taste and aroma of this wonderful wine will remain unchanged.

The second, mandatory rule is that you need to drink Sherry slowly, in small sips. Enjoying its excellent taste and aroma.

The third rule of how to drink Sherry correctly relates to the temperature at which it is served and the appetizer served with it. Before choosing dishes to pair with this wine, it is advisable to study the contents of the label.

The most popular types of sherry are:

Pedro Ximenez– one of the best dessert sherry, with notes of raisins. The wine will fully reveal its unique taste if the serving temperature is 13°C. The appetizer includes desserts and blue cheeses.

Manzanilla and Fino– a wine that is great for aperitifs. It has a yellowish tint, with a nutty and fruity flavor. It is recommended to cool to 5-10°C before serving. And for an appetizer, serve fish, seafood and soft cheeses.

Palo Cortado– one of the rare types of sherry. It needs to be cooled to 16 degrees, and good cigars are served instead of snacks. You need to drink it in small sips, enjoying the unique taste.

Amontillado– amber-colored sherry with a hint of almond. It needs to be cooled to 10°C, and only then served. White meat, soup and hard cheese are perfect for snacks.

Madium– has a rich taste that is difficult to forget. It is also cooled to 10°C; smoked meat and various pates are chosen as a snack.

Cream– dessert sweet dark wine. It is advisable to cool it to 13°C. As a snack, sweet pastries or various cookies are good for it.

Which is called sherry, is a unique drink. It goes well with meat dishes and can become the king of a holiday feast. From this article you will learn what sherry is and how to use it correctly.

History of sherry

The history of this drink dates back to 1000 BC, when the Phoenicians, as the world's most famous winemakers, conquered the territory of modern Spain. Favorable climatic conditions allowed them to grow rich grapes, which, after fermentation, gave a fortified taste of sherry wine that was different from other wine varieties. During the Middle Ages, Spain supplied this type of wine to the Irish and English, who gave it its name - Sherry. It should not be confused with a drink based on Cherry cherry syrup.

After thousands of years, the sherry production technology has been preserved. At the moment, the original sherry is produced only in Spain in the city of Andalusia and in the Crimea at the Massandra plant, where weather conditions and production technology are optimally combined to allow the cultivation of a special grape variety.

The question of what sherry is can be answered this way: it is a very strong wine with low sugar content, a very specific bitter taste and vanilla aroma. This contradictory combination has made this drink one of the most popular wines in the world.

Useful properties of sherry

Scientists from all over the world claim that Spanish sherry is no less healthy than traditional red wines. This is proven to include strong antioxidant polyphenols. It is this component that helps protect the body from free radicals, which are known to damage the biological structure and molecules of human DNA.

Genetics have revealed that free radicals are the main source of health problems in old age. Therefore, the intake of polyphenols into the body can prevent diseases such as diabetes, immune system disorders, hypertension, arthritis and even cancer. Therefore, if you know what sherry is and what beneficial properties it has, then you can use this wine as a remedy. Of course, this does not mean that red wines and sherry can be abused. Everything should be in moderation, and consulting a doctor will help avoid complications.

Sherry production process

The question of what sherry is can be answered with accuracy only after studying the technological process of its production. A distinctive feature of sherry from ordinary red wines is its special fermentation technology. placed in a wooden barrel, after which a film forms on the surface. This film is called sherry yeast or fleur, and it preserves the future wine from oxidation.

After the sherry has fully matured, which takes from 1.5 to 4 years, the grape must is laid out on straw mats to dry. The dried grapes are pressed and continue to ferment in tanks made of This technology gives sherry a special fortified taste, which distinguishes it from other types of wine.

Types of sherry

After fermentation, sherry wines are divided into two types, depending on the consistency of the sherry yeast. The first type is called Fino, this is a real sherry with an alcohol content of 20%. The second type, called Oloroso, requires more aging with the addition of alcohol. Oloroso base is used to make other types of wine.

The main types of this drink are: Manzanilla, Amontilliado, Pale Cream, Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximenes. These types of sherry wine differ in strength, amount of sugar and aging time. The most famous and best-selling type is Fino, which has a dry, strong taste. Palo Cordato is considered the rarest and most difficult to produce because it takes a long time to mature under the veil.

Each type of sherry has its fans among connoisseurs of collectible vintage wines due to its rich taste. It is impossible to say unequivocally which variety is the best, since the choice depends only on personal preferences.

Crimean sherry

It is known that the climatic conditions in Crimea are very similar to those in Spain. When the whole world learned what sherry was, it began to be produced at the Massandra winery in the settlement of the same name. At the same time, the technology for producing the drink is completely identical to its Spanish counterpart.

Vintage strong wine has been produced in Crimea since 1944. Massandra sherry has subtle notes of roasted nuts, bitter almonds and vanilla. Experts and connoisseurs note that the taste and quality are in no way inferior to the Spanish drink.

The world-famous Massandra sherry goes well with light snacks. For example, olives, cheese or vegetable salads. Doctors recommend Crimean sherry as a remedy for hypothermia and boosting immunity. The price for a bottle of Crimean collection wine varies from 400 to 500 rubles in different regions of Russia.

How to drink sherry correctly?

The tradition of drinking sherry dates back thousands of years. During this time, practically nothing has changed, except that traditional sherry is not recommended to be poured into painted glasses, because then you will not be able to enjoy the rich color of the wine. It is better to use traditional tulip-shaped glasses made of clear glass.

Sherry, like any wine, needs to be chilled before serving. The optimal temperature is 5-10 degrees. Warm wine will taste more like vinegar than the “drink of the gods.” Also, don't rush. Like any wine, sherry does not like excessive haste. Therefore, you need to consume it measuredly, in small sips, prolonging the pleasure. This will reveal the unique taste of the oldest drink in human history.

Sherry is also used as a component for various kinds of cocktails based on vodka, rum or gin. Therefore, if you know what sherry is and how to use it correctly, you can create a delicious mix that will complement orange or grapefruit syrup.

When talking about strong wines, we can’t forget about sherry. This wine is touchy and does not tolerate inattention. If - this is a noisy, cheerful Porthos; – sweet ladies man Aramis; then sherry is undoubtedly a refined Athos, with a contradictory character and a confusing, sometimes dramatic history.

It is not surprising that it was this drink that the legendary Count De La Fere loved more than others. And not only him. Writers Cervantes, Dickens, Nabokov, Chekhov, Conan Doyle and his character Sherlock Holmes, American President Benjamin Franklin, and jazzman Charlie Parker preferred sherry. And Pablo Picasso loved to knock back glasses of wine from his native Andalusia at breakfast so much that a separate variety of sherry was even named in his honor.

A good sherry [...] rushing into your head, dries up in the brain all the stupid, vulgar and gloomy vapors surrounding it, makes it sharp, lively, inventive, gives birth to playful, cheerful, ardent images in it, which, passing into voice into language, take on kind of cute, witty jokes and antics.

Shakespeare "Henry IV"

"By old yeast." How is the most famous morning wine made?

The production technology of both Madeira and port wine cannot be called simple. But sherry is by far the most complex of the trio. In its production, not only grapes, air, sun and human labor are used, but also special yeast cultures - flora, under a layer of which the wine matures without access to oxygen.

Sherry is a regional brand. A wine created in a triangle between cities can officially bear this name. Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria And Sanlucar de Barrameda in Spanish Andalusia. Only here there are the necessary soils for growing grapes, only local winemakers know the secrets of production, which have been passed on from father to son for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Of course, attempts were made to repeat the recipe, and some were even quite successful. For example, Sherry Massandra is not bad. This, of course, is not “sherry” in the full sense of the word, but in the absence of a maid, a butler will do. If you want to try refreshing cocktails with sherry, it is quite suitable for making them. By the way, it is at the Massandra plant that the oldest bottles of sherry in the world are stored, dating back to the beginning of the 18th century.

“I’m from Siberia, I’m an orphan... But just so I don’t feel so sick... I want some sherry.”

V. Erofeev “Moscow-Petushki”

But we digress. Very roughly, the production of sherry can be represented as follows:

1. At the beginning and end of September, the grape varieties Perdro Ximenes, Moscatel, Tintilla de Rota (for sweet wines), Mollar, Albillo and Perruno (for dry wines), Mantuo and Palomino Bianco (for elite varieties) are harvested.
2. The collected bunches are kept in the sun for 1-2 weeks.

Thus, the tannin and malic acid content in grape juice is reduced, but the sugar content increases. “Ripening” grapes are laid out on straw mats, and at night they are covered with mats made of special esparto grass to protect them from dew.

1. Another secret stage of production is gypsum.

The chalk soils of Albaris contain large amounts of calcium carbonate. If there is not enough of it, the grapes are sprinkled with dry gypsum, which contains the same substance, before pressing.

1. Next, the grapes are pressed.

Nowadays this is done by presses, but previously specially trained workers, wearing special boots with spikes, between which pieces of vines and seeds were stuck, stomped around in a barrel of berries for 10-12 hours.

1. Fermentation in barrels without flor lasts from 50 hours to 50 days - depending on the variety and type of wine.
2. Now flor is added to the drink - a yeast fungus of the Saccharomyces family.

Initially, the flor protected the wine and prevented it from turning into vinegar. The culture forms an airtight film on the surface, absorbs residual sugar, reduces the percentage of acids and glycerol, and increases the content of esters.

1. Fastening and classification.

After the initial aging, experienced winemakers determine what to do with the wine - send it and continue aging under flor (this is how the elite Manzanilla and Fino varieties are obtained) or remove bacteria and make a “simple” Oloroso or Amontillado, which is aged with access to air. 96% grape alcohol comes into play. Manzanilla and Fino are fortified to a maximum of 15.5% - so as not to kill the fungus. And in Oloroso or Amontillado, you can immediately pour in brandy, bringing the drink to 17 degrees or more - here you no longer need flor.

1. Exposure and selection.

The fortified sherry is decanted and sent to the cellars. There, a complex blending process takes place, with younger wines diluted with older ones - this technology is called “solera y criadera”. It is impossible to accurately determine the year of birth of sherry - only the approximate average age is written on the bottles. But from year to year the drink turns out to be of approximately the same taste and quality.

History of sherry: from the ancient Phoenicians to People's Commissar Mikoyan

Unlike Madeira and port, sherry is an ancient drink. Since the end of the second millennium BC, wine production began near the city of Jerez de la Frontera. The Phoenicians brought grapes here, as evidenced by the ancient Greek historian Strabo. At that time, sherry was famous for its long shelf life. True, its shelf life was extended not by flor, but by boiling - a barbaric but effective method. Such “boiled” sherry was imported en masse by the Romans, which clearly demonstrates the refined tastes of that era.

Alco-heit, oh, sorry Alhaken II, monument in Cordoba

In the 8th century AD, Spain was conquered by the Moors. The terrible Othellos, who professed Islam, did not drink wine, but they knew the secrets of land reclamation. The vineyards, surrounded by a skillful irrigation system, began to sprout with a vengeance. True, there was one thing in the Moorish history of Spain, excuse the pun, “black spot” - Caliph Alhaken II.

This was a kind of Moorish Gorbachev, who also took a high position at the turn of the millennium. In 966, he ordered to uproot all the sherry vineyards: they say that grapes are an invention of Shaitan, and in general - “sobriety is the norm of life.” But local farmers quickly reminded the “reformer” that without grapes there would be no juice, no dolma, and most importantly, raisins, which the soldiers ate on their campaigns.

The reconquista that began finally saved the vineyards from the Moors. The Europeans, who conquered the Iberian Peninsula inch by inch, drank wine. Moreover, drunkenness was a symbol for them, a noble trait that distinguished the holy Christian knights from the dirty, godless Arabs. The “reconquistadors” could tell modern sommeliers how to drink sherry – exclusively in barrels. Wine was even given to war horses so that they would go on the attack more boldly. Alfonso X, who captured Jerez de la Frontera in 1264, was the first to establish mass production of wine.

But it was not the Spaniards, but the British who brought sherry worldwide fame. Having tasted this unique drink, the London sirs began to actively import it. True, they could not pronounce the word “Jerez”, so they nicknamed him “Sherry”. Under Henry III, the import of sherry reached such a scale that local winemakers were forced to standardize its production and establish rules for harvesting and growing grapes. Since 1483, cutting down vines in the region has been a criminal offense.

“I have never been drunk from sherry,” Goranflo admitted, “it must be an unusually pleasant state.”

A. Dumas “Countess de Monsoreau”

A new round of sherry development – ​​the discovery of America. Magellan, going to the West Indies, took about 500 wineskins and 250 barrels “on the road.” During colonization, sherry, which can easily withstand road hardships and hardships, and practically does not spoil, became the basis of exports to the New World, accounting for up to a third of all cargo sent there. Sir Francis Drake became interested in such active trading. In 1587, his men attacked the city and demanded an indemnity of 3,000 barrels of wine. The “ransom” barrels created a real sensation in London. Sherry ceased to be a royal drink, it poured into the British streets in a stormy stream, becoming the favorite wine of all the more or less wealthy Englishmen, and later of the rising European and American bourgeoisie.

Remember who ruled us? Look at the portraits: lean faces, arrogant faces... Melancholy! A simple man works like a horse, and then looks at the sad monarch and wants to hang himself! And then at some time a cheerful king appears, with an infectious smile... A joker and joker! This is the pride of the nation! And he suffers from colitis like everyone else! And it’s treated like everyone else – with sherry!

G. Gorin “Kin IV”

In 1944, sherry reached our lands - its production began in the Crimea, at Massandra. True, since 1933 “Jerez” has been a regional brand that can only be manufactured in Andalusia. But Comrade Mikoyan, who contributed to the development of winemaking in the USSR, didn’t care about it. He said to make “Massandra sherry”, and they did it. Moreover, the very first harvest of 1944 is still considered the best. However, attempts to produce sherry have been carried out since the 19th century - not only in Crimea, but also in Moldova, Dagestan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kuban, Odessa and Kherson regions. A lot of sherry was made in Soviet times.

Is it possible to compare Soviet sherries with Spanish ones? No, and for these reasons:

1. Grape. In the union for sherry, any grape was used - from Rkatsiteli and Kokura to Chardonnay and Aligote. Of the grapes grown in Andalusia, only Albillo was used.
2. Fastening. According to Soviet technologies, the wine was fortified not with grape distillate, but with ordinary rectified alcohol, which, of course, affected the taste.
3. Sherrying. All “sherry” produced in the vast expanses of the former USSR was aged under flor for only a year, and then underwent oxidized aging in barrels.
4. And finally holding technology. The traditional “solera and criadera” for true sherry and other elite wines has not been and is not used anywhere in the CIS.

Soviet sherry. From right to left: Donskoy, Tamansky, Kubansky, Uzbek, again Kubansky, Moscow, two Dagestan, Kazakh, Armenian, three Moldavian and three Crimean, including the famous Massandra sherry.

So, Soviet sherry, like its currently produced descendants, is a wine that is made from different grapes, infused using a different technology, fortified in a different way and - most importantly - aged differently under flor.

And finally - how to drink sherry?

How to drink Massandra sherry? Of course it’s like this: you pull out a bottle from your parents’ bar, move it into the entrance where your friends are waiting for you, and take turns from the throat, lighting a cheap cigar. Or this: in Crimea, when the sun had almost set and the heat had subsided, from an aluminum mug, to the sound of a guitar and the crackling of a fire.

But if you are generous with a bottle or two of real Spanish, you should also think about what sips to drink it in, what snack to go with and how much to cool it down.

The art of drinking sherry depends on its variety. Traditionally, the following are distinguished: Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Madium, Palais Creme, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and Pedro Jimenez.

• Fino- the most expensive sherry with a strength of about 18%. Fino is always dry, always aged exclusively under flor, without access to oxygen.
• Manzanilla- Fino, grown only in the city of Sanlúcar. It is even less sweet than regular fino.

Both of these sherries are wonderful aperitifs, with a nutty flavor and a fruity bouquet. This dry sherry is served very chilled, up to 5-10 degrees. They should be snacked on soft cheese, seafood and fish.

• Amontillado– also dry sherry, with amber color and almond notes. They eat it with hard cheese, white meat, or, like the landowners who were not killed by the Bolsheviks, with soup. Temperature – 10°.
• Madium Also served at 10°C, it goes well with smoked meat and various pates and has an unusual, very bright taste for a dry wine.
• Palais Cream combined with poultry liver and fruit, it opens perfectly at 7 degrees Celsius.
• And here Palo Cortado sharply different from other dry sherries. It is produced as fino, but sometimes, for mysterious reasons, the flor on the surface of the wine dies and the wine begins to mature using oxidized technology.

Black tea is an ideal complement to dessert sherry

Palo Cortado is cooled to no more than 16 degrees. It is not recommended to eat it at all, but this drink, like good brandy, goes well with cigar smoke. Some Russian experts recommend this drink with... dumplings!

• Oloroso– sherry, aged without the participation of flor, very aromatic, with nutty notes and golden color. It can be dessert, dry or semi-dry. The dry one is eaten with red meat, the rest is consumed as a digestive at a temperature of 16°C.
• And finally Pedro Jimenez– the most famous dessert sherry, with a slightly perceptible raisin aroma. It is served with desserts and blue cheeses, chilled to 13°. Pedro Ximenez goes perfectly with black tea, cookies, and goes perfectly with our traditional “tea table”.

You are well-fed and indifferent, and therefore have an inclination towards philosophy, but I want to live and therefore I drink sherry at dinner and smoke cigars and that’s it.