At first, I gravitated toward the sweet wines, PX, etc., but now, after drinking some great value olorosos, consider me a fan of the austere and nervy. 
Fino and Manzanilla for me. And La Bota Palo Cortado. Can’t drink the sweet ones.
So far, I’m quite excited by the Equipo wines…(I guess that everyone else is, as well!)
They’re great. You may want to check out the book Sherry, Manzanilla & Montilla by Peter Liem and Jesus Barquin if you are interested in reading about Sherry (and similar wines). Useful overview and background.
Coincidentally, did you guys see that both the New York Times and Washington Post’s wine column this week was about sherry?
I love the stuff but rarely buy bottles as I don’t usually have a partner or partners to drink it with. I’ll order a glass if I see it on a list, though.
Love Jerez (Palo Cortado & Oloroso primarily). Wish I could drink/buy more. Truth be told, been put off the Equipo Navazos bottles due to pricing. Lustao is great, as is Alvear (technically Montilla-Moriles…which produces great stuff as well).
And the layest issue of the Whisky Advocate has a big section and several articles about sherry
I agree with Michael, it’s a great book.
Which reminds me, we need to schedule another Sherry dinner here. I spend too much time drinking with people who won’t touch the stuff. Michael - if you’ll be up in NYC any time in the next few months we can try and work around your schedule so you can attend.
As I’ve mentioned before Palo Cortado is probably my overall favorite though there have been individual wines from every style other than Cream that have stood out in my all time favorites. I’ll disagree with Michael in that I’ve had some La Bota PXs that have exhibited absolutely stunning complexity.
If you search the board you’ll find notes on some of our previous NYC Sherry dinners.
Just had a bottle of 2011 Alvear PX. The stuff was as thick as motor oil and sweeter than maple syrup. Took 5 days to drink a 375 ml bottle.
Need to pair that with blue cheese or almonds to counterarrest the sugar bomb. Love that bottle though.
I naturally started off as a sweet sherry drinker. Though I love PX I find I use it to cook with just as much to drink with.
My eyes were slowly opened by the Lustau East Indian Solera which is an aged mix of their PX with Oloroso. Much less sweet and a lot more complex due to the nuttiness and verve provided by the Oloroso.
I’ve had dry Fino, Manzanilla and Oloroso sherries and what I find particularly interesting about them is that they are the only wines I’ve ever had that I would truly call savory wines.
I don’t mean savory as in green bell pepper flavors in Cabernet wine that shouldn’t be there. I mean savory as in the complete opposite of sweet, where they have a mixture of saltiness and umami flavor that is all but begging for olives, cheese, charcuterie and steak. It’s again that great subtle saltwater taste I also detect in Madeira as well as Sherry.
Also, next to Port, sherry makes the absolute best conditioning barrels for whisky and brandy. 
I drink all styles, but particularly favor Amontillado (especially the Hidalgo bottlings).
i had never drank much of it until a trip to Portland. dinner with Mark/Peter/Eric changed that. i think sherry is fascinating, and have been slowly picking up La Bota’s. very interested to try the #27…
My wife and I shared a bottle of Emilio Lustau Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda Manzanilla “3 En Rama” (Spring-2013) last night over dinner and while watching Carlos Saura’s “CARMEN” (the middle film of his flamenco trilogy).
We drink a lot of sherry - not so much fino/manzanilla in the winter, but this was very much by design. Saddened over Paco de Lucia’s sudden and surprising death that was reported yesterday, we wanted to watch something in his honor. He is very much featured in this film, as is the sharing of a fino/manzanilla between flamenco master Antonio Gades and his “Carmen”, Laura del Sol.
Not really sure how to embed video (I appear to be doing this wrong!), but this is the scene where de Lucia reinterprets Bizet as a buleria:
This. (With the exception of the Valdespino Toneles, which is sweet and one of the most mindblowingly great wines I’ve had.)
Give me a glass of Valdespino Inocente or La Bota Manzanilla Pasada with a good meal, and I’m happy.
Why only La Bota? Have you tried the Hidalgo VOS?
I post a couple comments and disappear for a few hours and all hell breaks loose.
Salil, I agree with you - despite not enjoying just about any sweet sherry, I will always make room in my glass for Valdespino Toneles. However, one must win the lottery to be able to afford it.
Jay - I like other Palo Cortados, too, but I have been particularly struck by the complexity of some of the La Botas, like the #34. Haven’t tried Hidalgo VOS though. Also, I will be up in NY March 21-23. Chelsea and I are trying to squeeze a few things into that weekend, but I’d be interested in some sort of wine/sherry-related get together while I am up. Let’s discuss by e-mail if you are free that weekend.
Nah, I just listened to Stranded while I drank it (really).
We are definitely due for another one of these…
I have to admit it is growing on me, but there are a lot people out there now that are pretty fanatical about it. If you ever have the chance you should try and get to Sherry Fest - http://www.sherryfest.com/
Rosemary Gray and Peter Liem (who i agree did a great book on sherry) are behind it.
If you can find time, Bodegas Tradicion are incredible sherries, but costly. Valdespino also does a single vineyard fino called Inocente that is pretty reasonable and very good.