There may not be enough sherry drinkers here to support this thread, but I am starting it anyway for the few of us (we few, we happy few) who appreciate the gift to the vinous world that is sherry.
I am going to go out on a limb and contend that sherry is the greatest QPR in the wine world. For history, ageability, profound consistency, resilience, variety, food pairing versatility, sheer amount of time and effort that goes into making the top examples - the dedication it requires to make wine that will likely be enjoyed by your grandchildren - and, for those with the capacity to enjoy it, pure deliciousness, all at remarkably low prices, I believe it’s hard to compete. I’m not trying to start an argument about the best QPR, only support the belief that sherry deserves a lot more respect and love than it gets.
So I’ll start with last night’s tastes from Tradicion. The 1970 needed a couple of weeks open to start showing best. It was extreme and idiosyncratic, but turned out fantastic.
I think some Sherries belong to Sarah’s small group of wines that she’ll drink days after a bottle has been opened.
I think I may try some sherry with oysters today. I prefer fino or manzanilla along with amontillado (older fino/amontillado).
Oh for sure - sherry and, of course, madeira, which needs 24 hrs of decant for every decade in bottle. Manzanilla I like better in the first couple of days.
Edited as I now understand…I forgot it was there.
A few years ago, Jonathan and I went to Spain with another couple. Along the way, we developed nicknames - Comfort Pork Chop, Hairy Switchback and The Pickled Bitches. Jonathan, obviously, was Comfort Pork Chop. Our friend puts those little tags on his bottles when they are reserved for a certain purpose, and this one was a gift for Jonathan.
Finishes off the remains of a Valdespino Contrabandista on Wednesday night while watching The Bear.
Sadly cannot make @Jay_Miller’s next Sherry dinner on the 14th but hoping I can organize something with him in September with Jaime Gil from Valdespino attending and bringing something really cool that doesn’t make it to the US. If you are interested in joining, just say the word and I’ll keep you in the loop.
Also in the category of liking but never really drinking sherry. I was a totally brand-new wine drinker in the early 2010’s when there was a big sherry trend among the somm/influencer set, and I drank a good deal of it then for reasons including that it was very high bang for buck and I was a college and law student at the time. Mostly just your basic Lustau/Tio Pepe/Gitana which was what was available. These days I’ll have a fino every now and again but don’t have a source (I’m sure just due to lack of searching) that reliably has fresh product and I find that old-stock fino and manzanilla can lose the saline freshness that I’m after.
I quite like the oxidized styles as well, but like other strongly fortified wines find them a little hard to work into everyday life. (Fino and manzanilla at ~15%abv feels more like a regular table wine that you don’t have to treat with quite the kid gloves you do when drinking 20% port/sherry/madeira.) I suppose the answer is to emulate the Brits of old and drink an amontillado or oloroso as an aperitif and then move to table wine with dinner.
In any case I should drink more sherry and will follow this thread!
Sherry selections a bit hit and miss here but Tio Pepe is terrific value. Lustau wines trickle through the KGBO otherwise you have to go to agents for things like Equipo Navazos.
I’m sure you realize how well fino and manzanilla pair with seafood but the oxidative styles can go very well with chicken, game, or even steak depending on levels of concentration and sweetness
And they are the only thing I’ve found that is actually a stellar pairing with hoisin (e.g., Peking duck)
Yes! So many people by default pair red burg with Peking Duck because it goes with duck, duh. But Peking Duck is almost always on the sweeter side, especially with condiments, and the emphasis on skin, the “yeasty” quality of the pancake, and calls for something different. The right sherry or madeira can be perfect.
