Sherry

Sherry – fortified wine from Xerez, southern Spain.
The only grape for a dry sherry is the white Palomino Fino, a grape with a fairly neutral taste.
There are two types of Sherry: with or without oxidation during the ripening in wooden barrels.
 
Flor is the mysterious process of a floating layer of yeast on top of the wines, which only occurs spontaneously in several areas in the world.
Because the flor seals the sherry off from the air no oxidation occurs.

Sherry’s with flor, without oxidation are the very pale and very dry Fino and Manzanilla.
These sherry’s have a light, salted taste.
Sherry’s without flor, with oxidation: the oloroso.
This sherry is brown and contains obvious tones of nuts.

An in between form is the amontillado: sherry with a partial flor during the ripening.

For sweet sherry the Palomino fino is blended with Moscatel or Pedro Ximenes grapes.