Did you know that there are several types of Sherry available? Sherry is a fortified wine of the Jerez region of Spain. Being fortified means grape spirits are added to the wine either during the fermentation process to stop all the sugars from being converted to alcohol or after fermentation is complete. With Sherry, the spirits are added during fermentation. After fermentation Sherry is divided into two groups and from those two groups it is divided into even more types of Sherry.
The wine grapes used in the production of Sherry are: the Palomino grape which is the base wine for all Sherry, the Pedro Ximenez, which is used as a sweetening agent and the Moscatel grape which provides color. Sherries are classified into two groups depending on the quality of the juice after fermentation. The higher quality juice is put into the Fino category. Everything else is put into the Oloroso category.
The best of the best juice is made into Fino Sherry and is made exclusively from Palomino grapes. The process involved in fermentation, the affect of yeasts on the juice delivers the nutty qualities to the Sherry. Controlled oxidation is another factor determining a Fino’s characteristics: a taste similar to roasted almonds.
Not quite a Fino as it is aged differently, Manzanilla Sherry still falls into the Fino category. It sees direct but limited exposure to oxygen and because the area where it is produced lies near the ocean, Manzanilla has a bit of a salty character along with its traditional almond flavor.
Amontillado Sherry is the last of the Fino types of Sherry. However, it starts to move away from the Fino category as it matures in the open air, deepening in color and taking on a more maderized flavor of roasted hazelnuts. These types of Sherry are sweetened with either vino dulce (a sweetener made from sundried Palomino grapes) or dulce de almibar (pure sugar).
Oloroso Sherry are like we said, made from lesser quality juice than Fino Sherries. There is nothing wrong with these types of Sherry of course. The simple reason for the distinction is that Finos are made from free-run juice and Olorosos are made from pressed juice.
The direct exposure to the open air and sun speeds the process of maturing in Oloroso Sherries. As a result of this exposed aging the Oloroso tends to be a little more abrasive than its smooth Fino cousin. Darker colors, deeper aromas and a fuller body are what characteristics define a good Oloroso. The flavors are intense toasted pecan.
Palo-Cortado is the last of the types of Sherry. Its characteristics are all over the board in terms of classification. In aroma one is reminded of Amontillado, but its color and taste has all the resemblance to an Oloroso. Its production puts it somewhere in betweeen Fino and Oloroso but as it is an unstable process the juice usually degrades into the Oloroso style.