Osborne Sherry
- Sweet Sherry is a full bodied sherry which tastes similar to a fine Port or a Cognac. It is traditionally a dessert beverage.
- Dry Sherry is a light, crisp sherry which tastes similar to a Chardonnay or a Johannesburg Riesling. It is traditionally an aperitif to freshen the tongue before dinner.
- Amontillado is a medium sherry which balances the richness of Sweet with the crispness of the Dry. It is recommended for first time Sherry drinkers and can be enjoyed anytime.
- The first thing to know about Port and Sherry is that they are different. Port is produced in the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal; Sherry is produced in the province of Andalucia in Southern Spain. Port is mostly made with red grapes; Sherry with white grapes. But, if you are going to remember only one difference between them, remember this: Sherry is generally dry; Port is sweet. During the production of Sherry, the wine is allowed to fully ferment before the addition of the brandy resulting in a dry fortified wine. In other words, all the sugar in the grape juice has been consumed by the yeast and then it is strengthened with the spirit. When making Port, the distilled spirit is added during fermentation which stops the process and results in residual sugar in the fortified wine. Therefore, the dry Sherry will generally make for a better aperitif, while the sweeter Port will make for a better digestif.
- There are six basic groups of fortified wines: Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Vermouth and even Muscat (Moscatel). The final alcohol level for these wines will range anywhere from 15% to 22% ABV. I will concentrate on the first three to hopefully reduce some bartender insecurity that we may have experienced.
- "Fortified" means "strengthened," a wine that has been strengthened with a distilled spirit, usually a grape brandy.
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