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Sherry

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Wine classificationWine regions of Spain
DO Jerez location
DO Jerez location

Sherry (Spanish: jerez [xeˈɾeθ]) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versions similar to white table wines, such as Manzanilla and fino, to darker and heavier versions that have been allowed to oxidise as they age in barrel, such as Amontillado and oloroso. Sweet dessert wines are also made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes, and are sometimes blended with Palomino-based sherries. Under the official name of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, it is one of Spain's wine regions, a Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP). The word sherry is an anglicisation of Xérès (Jerez). Sherry was previously known as sack, from the Spanish saca, meaning "extraction" from the solera. In Europe, "sherry" has protected designation of origin status, and under Spanish law, all wine labelled as "sherry" must legally come from the Sherry Triangle, an area in the province of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. In 1933 the Jerez denominación de origen was the first Spanish denominación to be officially recognised in this way, officially named D.O. Jerez-Xeres-Sherry and sharing the same governing council as D.O. Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda. After fermentation is complete, the base wines are fortified with grape spirit to increase their final alcohol content. Wines classified as suitable for aging as fino and Manzanilla are fortified until they reach a total alcohol content of 15.5 percent by volume. As they age in a barrel, they develop a layer of flor—a yeast-like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation. Those wines that are classified to undergo aging as oloroso are fortified to reach an alcohol content of at least 17 per cent. They do not develop flor and so oxidise slightly as they age, giving them a darker colour. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, most sherries are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later. Despite the common misconception that sherry is a sweet drink, most varieties are dry. In contrast, port wine is fortified halfway through its fermentation, which stops the process so that not all of the sugar is turned into alcohol. Wines from different years are aged and blended using a solera system before bottling so that bottles of sherry will not usually carry a specific vintage year and can contain a small proportion of very old wine. Sherry is regarded by some wine writers as "underappreciated" and a "neglected wine treasure".

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Sherry (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Sherry
Avenida Arcos de la Frontera, Jerez

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N 36.683944444444 ° E -6.12625 °
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Avenida Arcos de la Frontera
11401 Jerez
Andalusia, Spain
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Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez de la Frontera (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈɾeθ ðe la fɾonˈteɾa]) or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as Xeres, is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Located in southwestern Iberia, it lies on the Campiña de Jerez, an inland low-land plain crossed by the Guadalete river, midway the Atlantic Ocean, the Guadalquivir river and the western reaches of the Subbaetic System. As of 2020, with 213,105 inhabitants, Jerez is the most-populated municipality in the province of Cádiz. Its municipality covers an area of 1,188.14 km2 (458.74 sq mi) and includes Los Alcornocales Natural Park. Winegrowing has long been, particularly upon the transition to modern agro-extractivism in the mid 18th century, the main drive of the economy of Jerez. During the 19th century, the local wine Sherry was overwhelmingly produced for foreign export, catering to the British market in the first place. Throughout this century the city earned a reputation as a paradigm for large landowners, high social inequality, and the winery-related identity. Since 1987, Grand Prix motorcycle racing has been held at the Circuito de Jerez in early May. The circuit has also hosted several Formula One Grands Prix, including the 1997 European Grand Prix, which decided the 1997 Formula One World Championship. Other festivals in the city include the Feria de Jerez and the Holy Week.