My sherry amour: Why I can’t resist a glass or two of fino

First published in the Irish Times, Saturday 17th August, 2019

There are exceptions to every rule. I have been recommending lower-alcohol wines over the summer. But I have a confession to make: most evenings I have been quietly drinking a glass or two of wine that registers at 15 per cent. The wine that breaks the rules is sherry, or fino and manzanilla to be more precise. This is one of the great summer wines, bringing back fond memories of lunches in Jerez, sitting in the shade, sipping a glass of chilled sherry.

Treat fino as you would any other white wine, and don’t leave it lying around for weeks; once opened, drink it within a few days. Two of today’s bottles come in handy half-bottles. Serve chilled in proper large wine glasses alongside a variety of foods.

I sometimes wonder if retailers and restaurants have ever tried placing their fino and manzanilla sherries alongside all their other white Spanish wines instead of corralling them alongside the other fortified drinks – they are wines, after all.

Fino is not to everyone’s taste, but if you like umami-rich foods such as green olives, Roquefort, anchovies, Marmite and soy sauce, then you will probably like fino too.

Manzanilla is a fino sherry produced and aged in and around the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. All other fino is aged in nearby Jerez. Because of the differing climates, manzanilla is generally livelier and fresher, and is said to have a characteristic salty tang.

There has never been a better time to try sherry. Changes are afoot in the region; some producers are now offering “en rama” unfiltered sherries, others single-vineyard sherries, and some are producing limited edition batches of unfortified wines. These fascinating and delicious wines deserve an article all to themselves, but look out for Bodegas Cota 45 Ube de Ubérrima as a brilliant example of an unfortified sherry.

You could ease yourself gently into fino sherry by dropping into a wine bar, most of which serve it by the glass, or try a half-bottle of the Rey Fernando de Castilla fino – this also would go well in a rebujito, made by mixing fino with lots of ice and fizzy lemonade, or soda water. Otherwise, look out for the names Valdespino and Barbadillo in independents and the excellent Lustau sherries, to be found in Mitchell & Son and elsewhere.

Fino sherries are traditionally matched with all manner of tapas, including deep-fried fish and croquetas, tortilla, Ibérico ham and other cold meats, olives, toasted nuts, and cheese. They are also great with sushi, sashimi (and most Japanese food), gazpacho, fried hake, smoked salmon, garlic prawns, asparagus and so much more. In fact, fino goes amazingly well with just about any food, particularly anything deep-fried or salty.

Marks & Spencer manzanilla sherry
15%, €12
Light, fruity, tangy and fresh; the perfect summer sherry – and a steal for €12.
From Marks & Spencer, marksandspencer.com

Gabriela Manzanilla NV, Pago Balbaina, Sanchez Ayala
15%, €12.30 for a half-bottle
This is quite lovely; a fresh intense nose, lightly floral with bready notes; the palate has almonds, lovely subtle fruit, excellent length and real character, finishing dry.
From Worldwide Wines, Waterford, worldwidewines.ie; Le Caveau, Kilkenny, lecaveau.ie

Callejuela Manzanilla Fina
15%, €12 for a half-bottle, €18 for full bottle
Light and refreshing as a manzanilla should be, with lovely crisp biting acidity, and intense bready, toasted almond flavours. Brilliant sherry.
From Ely 64, Glasthule, Co Dublin, ely64.com; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4, baggotstreetwines.com; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin, blackrockcellar.com; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; the Corkscrew, Dublin 2, thecorkscrew.ie; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Co Dublin jusdevine.ie; Redmonds, Dublin 6, redmonds.ie; Whelehan’s Wines, Dublin 18, whelehanswines.ie; Wicklow Wine Co, wicklowwineco.ie; Martin’s Off Licence, Dublin 3, martinsofflicence.ie

El Maestro Sierra Fino
15%, €25.99
Wow! This explodes with flavour; full of character, dry with classic almonds, savoury, and an earthy touch too.
From the Corkscrew, Dublin 2, thecorkscrew.ie; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Alex Findlater, Limerick, alexfindlaterandco.ie