spices, and sometimes sweetened (up to 16%
sugar). The French usually extract the
flavorings in the wine itself, while the Italians
extract or co-distill them with the fortification
alcohol. Once fortified, the wine is aged for
several months.
Styles of Sherry
True sherry from the Jerez region of Spain
is made in several different ways to
produce different styles of wine.
Fino is the lightest, least fortified, and
least oxidized. Its surface in the solera is
protected from the air by a layer of
unusual yeasts called the flor.
Amontillado is essentially fino sherry
that did not develop or retain a flor in the
solera, and so is more oxidized, darker,
and heavier.
Oloroso sherries (from the Spanish for
“fragrant,” “perfumed”) are made from