Fortified wines are often misunderstood, and sherry in particular regularly suffers a fate worse than death by being produced almost religiously for Christmas Day or funerals while being confined to the back of the drinks cupboard for the rest of the year. If that is the case, then do yourself a favour and use whatever is left in the bottle for cooking, then invest in something new for the festive season and rejoice in the warming properties of those extra few degrees of alcohol.
Broadly speaking there are two types of fortified wines, those that are fortified during fermentation and those that are fortified after fermentation has completed.
Sherry falls into the latter category and as all the sugar is fermented into alcohol, it is naturally dry to begin with. The pale dry styles come in two different forms - Fino and Manzanilla. Palomino grapes are harvested from the best vineyards and a white wine is made in the usual fashion.
Afterwards, the wine goes into barrels and is fortified to around 15%. Then a yeast called flor, specific to this part of the world, grows a thick layer over the wine which acts as a barrier to oxygen.
There are many types of darker sherries, including those which have been sweetened to create the style we know in the UK as cream'. Wines that are destined to become darker sherries are fortified to a higher level, usually around 18%, which inhibits the growth of flor.
There are some exhilarating sherries available in Scotland, and you won't go wrong with any of those listed here.
Serve the Hidalgo Manzanilla La Gitana (£5.99, Majestic Wines) chilled down as a mouth-watering aperitif. This is bone dry, with a slightly nutty flavour brought alive on the finish by a sea salt tang.
The Valdespino Fino (£5.99, Oddbins) is no stranger to this column, or my fridge. With subtle nuances of citrus and brioche and great finesse, it is unbeatable at the price. Macarena Cream Sherry (£4.99, Oddbins) is balanced with delicious flavours of roasted nuts and dried fruits. Great for after dinner or beforehand with some unsalted nuts.
Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado (£9.49, Oddbins) is an amber- coloured dry sherry worth its weight in gold. Wave upon wave of dried fruit, toffee and nut aromas and a persistent, satisfying finish.
PX El Candado (£11.99, Henderson Wines) is the closest thing to Christmas pudding in liquid form. A tan-coloured elegant and textured wine which is devilishly sweet. I like this with cheese, but it can be enjoyed with a range of desserts - as long as they are rich and very sweet. Port is made in Portugal from a number of indigenous grape varieties and is fortified during fermentation so some natural grape sugar is left in the wine. As much colour, flavour and tannin is extracted from the grapes before the wine is fortified by the addition of grape spirit.
There are so many ports on the market that it is difficult to know where to start. Here is a small selection which are tried and tested favourites of mine.
Fonseca Late Bottled Vintage 2000 (£11.99, Majestic Wines) is an unfiltered fruity port with a smooth and mellow character.
Dow's Crusted Port (£13.99, Oddbins) gives the lucky drinker a taste of the acidity, tannin and force of a vintage port at a snip of the price. Decant this before drinking by carefully pouring the wine into another vessel.
Push the boat out with a good quality port from a great vintage with the Quinta do Noval 2000 Silval Vintage Port (circa £24.99, Cornelius Wines, Edinburgh). This is a powerful wine, with grippy tannins playing over a sensuous backdrop of red and black fruits.
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