Wine Insights #4 - On Sherry
The definitive book on Sherry, a blog on why it’s not finding traction, and a bottle of Scotch as another method of introduction.
One of the fundamentals of wine learning is: continue to try stuff because your taste will change.
And while, I’m not 100% on Team Sherry, that doesn’t stop me from trying.
Sherry is, and always will be, the perfect opportunity to zig when people are zagging.
Everyone is going low alcohol, but Sherry brings a higher octane punch.
Sherry has a stigma from old biddies and wine hipsters, but you could be the poster child.
Everyone is going to butter boards, but you could revive charcuterie as Sherry pairs well with almonds, olives, ham, and nearly anything tapas.
Here’s a book, blog, and bottle to get you started on Sherry.
Book: Sherry by Talia Baiocchi
If you needed a companion or excuse to try Sherry, there’s no better book than Talia Baiocchi’s Sherry: A Modern Guide to the Wine World’s Best Kept Secret.
Despite Talia’s enthusiasm for the beverage, she tampers expectations.
“No matter how popular sherry becomes over the next few years it will always need the evangelism of the industry—because, well, sherry is not Pinot Grigio. It may never reach and saturate the mass market in such a way that you might run into it on a list at a country club in Tucson. (And if you do, I encourage you to use caution.”
Blog: Not a match – why is sherry failing to find its groove? by Chris Losh
Chris’s article resonated with my thoughts on Sherry, and why I haven’t added it into my mix yet.
But it reminds me that we can’t keep talking about Sherry the way we’ve always talked about Sherry.
So, let’s do something different.
Bottle: Laphroaig PX Cask Single Malt Scotch
When talking about Sherry, I’m about as over my skis as talking about scotch. But at the suggestion of Chris Losh in the article above, I’m ready to challenge the Sherry status quo.
A few weeks back, I found myself in the basement of the whiskey connoisseur. He had over 300 bottles lined up and available for tasting.
We started talking about wine and scotch, and he suggested I try the Laphroaig PX Cask Single Malt Scotch. PX stands for Pedro Ximénez which is a grape that makes a sweet style of Sherry of the same name.
While the proof was high, I noticed more aromas and flavors than in my typical scotch experience. The power of suggestion? Perhaps, but it might be the ticket into the world of Sherry.
In Summary
Sherry offers another wine experience. It’s challenging for sure, but have you ever learned anything from something easy to understand?
Sherry is worth tackling for a better understanding of your tastes and your palate, especially as they evolve with your wine learning.
You are brilliant or rather your skill at creating crafting & sharing your Wine Insights in your newsletter is brilliant and inspiring even for a very occasional wine drinker who is unlikely to get the opportunity to even taste a glass of good or mediocre very soon. Thanks for sharing your love of wine with the world!