Sherry
Style, grape, region and technique from Jerez — Fino to Pedro Ximénez, Solera to Albariza.
Concept
Albariza
White chalky soil across Marco de Jerez, made of fossil diatoms, that holds rainwater deep and reflects sunlight back onto the vines.
Almacenista
Small, artisanal bodega de crianza y almacenado in Marco de Jerez that ages sherry and sells it in bulk to large houses. Iconic via the Lustau Almacenista range since 1981.
Bota
Standard 500-litre oak barrel for sherry ageing. Almost always American oak, pre-seasoned with wine. Core unit of every solera bodega.
Capataz
Cellar master in a sherry bodega. Runs the solera system, decides on flor status, performs venencia samples. The hub of craft in every bodega.
Consejo Regulador
Official regulatory body of DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and DO Manzanilla; audits provenance, production, age claims and certification.
La Part des Anges
The angel's share. The wine or spirit that evaporates annually from an oak barrel during cask ageing. Champagne 1-2% per year, sherry 3-5%, cognac 2-4%.
Phylloxera
Aphid (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) that devastated European vineyards from 1863. 70-80% of European vines died. Solution: grafting onto resistant American rootstocks.
Tabanco
Authentic sherry bar in Jerez and nearby towns. Originally a shop where wine was poured from the barrel. Today cultural institutions with flamenco, tapas and direct cask service.
Venenciador
Specialist who performs the venencia draw in a sherry bodega. Pours sherry from height without spills. Part of the capataz craft, sometimes a standalone tour-presentation role.
VORS (30-Year-Old)
Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum: certified sherry with a minimum average age of thirty years, audited by the Consejo Regulador.
VOS (20-Year-Old)
Vinum Optimum Signatum: certified sherry with a minimum average age of twenty years, audited by the Consejo Regulador.
Style
Amontillado
Sherry that starts life as a fino under flor and then, after the yeast dies off, finishes maturing oxidatively to amber and nutty.
Añada
Vintage sherry from a single harvest year, without solera blending. Rare, recently re-permitted within DO Jerez. Williams & Humbert, Tradición, González Byass.
Cream Sherry
Sweet sherry based on Oloroso with added Pedro Ximénez. Sugar 115-140 g/l. Iconic example: Harveys Bristol Cream from the 1860s.
Fino
Pale, bone-dry sherry aged biologically under a living veil of flor yeast in half-filled butts at Jerez or El Puerto.
Manzanilla
Dry Palomino sherry aged exclusively in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, saltier and leaner than fino thanks to the Atlantic microclimate.
Manzanilla Pasada
Manzanilla with at least 7 years of oak ageing, made only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Transition from biological (under flor) to oxidative. Bridge towards Amontillado.
Medium Sherry
Sweet sherry based on Amontillado with added PX or Moscatel. Sugar 5-115 g/l. Split into Medium Dry and Medium Sweet (boundary at 50 g/l).
Oloroso
Fully oxidative sherry aged without flor, deep mahogany in colour, bone-dry by definition and typically 18 to 22 percent alcohol.
Pale Cream Sherry
Sweet sherry based on Fino or Manzanilla (biologically aged) with added concentrated grape must. Sugar 45-115 g/l. Iconic example: Croft Original.
Palo Cortado
Rare sherry style with the aromatics of amontillado and the body of oloroso, formed when a fino butt unexpectedly loses its flor.
Pedro Ximénez Sherry
Inky, syrupy sweet sherry made from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes, with residual sugar from 250 grams per litre upwards.
Grape
Moscatel
White grape of the sherry region, full name Moscatel de Alejandría. About 3 percent of plantings. Base for sweet Moscatel sherry, often sun-dried via asoleo.
Palomino
White grape behind around 95 percent of all sherry; neutral aroma, high yielding, ideally suited to flor ageing and oxidative styles.
Pedro Ximénez (grape)
White grape sun-dried to raisin and pressed into the base for sweet PX sherry; Andalusian origin, main plantings in Montilla-Moriles.
Region
El Puerto de Santa María
Coastal town between Jerez and Sanlúcar, the third corner of Marco de Jerez. Sherry style sits between inland Jerez and maritime Sanlúcar.
Jerez de la Frontera
Capital of the sherry region. One of three corners of Marco de Jerez (with Sanlúcar and El Puerto). Inland, hotter and drier than the coast.
Marco de Jerez
The Spanish DO for sherry, formed by the triangle of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Pago
Historical vineyard area within Marco de Jerez with its own microclimate and soil. Permitted on the label since 2021 with 85 percent origin. Examples: Macharnudo, Balbaína, Carrascal.
Puerto Real
Coastal town between El Puerto de Santa María and Cádiz, within Marco de Jerez. Marginal role in sherry production; mostly supplies grapes to larger bodegas elsewhere.
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Coastal town at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, the only place where Manzanilla may be made. Maritime influence produces a fresher, saltier sherry style.
Trebujena
Small wine village on the north side of the Guadalquivir mouth, within Marco de Jerez. Known for still white wine alongside sherry, often through co-ops.
Technique
Asoleo
Spanish sun-drying process on straw mats, mainly for Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel. Concentrates sugars to 400-500 g/l, the base for sweet sherry.
Criadera
A single row of butts within a solera system holding wine of similar average age; topped up from the criadera above (younger).
Crianza Biológica
Spanish term for biological sherry ageing under a flor veil. Opposite of crianza oxidativa (without flor). Sets the fundamental style route: fino/manzanilla versus oloroso.
En Rama
Sherry bottling with minimal or no filtration. Literally 'from the branch'. Keeps flor flakes and turbidity. Pioneer release: Barbadillo Solear Pasada en Rama (1999).
Flor
Living yeast veil of Saccharomyces strains that forms on fino and manzanilla and shields the wine from oxidation during biological ageing.
Fortification
Adding wine-derived spirit to raise alcohol level. Central to sherry, port and madeira. Sets style direction via the flor threshold (15-17%).
Mutage
Addition of neutral grape distillate (~95% alcohol) to base wine to bring the alcohol content to 15% (Fino, Manzanilla) or 17%+ (Oloroso). Determines sherry style.
Non Ouillé
French for 'not topped up': cask ageing without regular replenishment. Required for Jura's vin jaune and sous-voile ageing. Enables the oxidative veil on the wine.
Rocío
The transfer of younger wine into older criadera rows in a sherry solera. Literally 'sprinkling'. Keeps the solera system in motion.
Saca
Drawing of wine from the oldest row of casks (solera) in a sherry system. Literally 'draw'. Date on the label signals a fresh release.
Saca de Primavera
Spring draw from a sherry solera, mainly for en rama bottlings. Celebrated in Sanlúcar as the seasonal moment with the thickest flor and highest expression.
Sobretabla
Transitional phase in sherry production: young wine after mutage rests 6-12 months in oak before entering the criadera-y-solera system. The first classification moment.
Solera System
Fractional sherry ageing where a portion is drawn each year from the oldest row and topped up from the next-younger row, blending vintages.
Sous Voile
French synonym for flor ageing: 'under the veil' of living yeast. Best known from Jura's vin jaune, parallel to sherry's biological ageing.
Venencia
Tin or silver cup on a long flexible stem used to draw sherry from a bota for tasting. Classic instrument of the capataz (cellarmaster).