Sherry - A Love Triangle

Saldaña is considered Spain's pre-eminent authority on the subject and is in Vancouver to present the story of sherry and no doubt touch on every aspect of this ancient drink.

According to Spanish wine experts, the oldest mention of sherry comes from Strabo, a 1st century BC Greek geographer, who wrote that the first vines were brought to the Xera (Jerez) region by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC.

In AD 711, the Moorish occupation of Spain began, opening a period of history that, in the case of Jerez, was to last more than five centuries. Throughout the period, Sherish, as the Moors called Jerez, remained a large wine-producing centre in spite of the Koran's prohibition.

Many years after its reconquest from the Moors in 1264, the town of Xeres (Jerez), along with other nearby villages, marked the limits of the Kingdom of Castile, which explains its modern-day name, Jerez de la Frontera (Jerez on the Frontier).

Today, the demarcated production area for sherry, a region known as the "Sherry Triangle," is formed by the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda and lies at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It is here some of the world's most sophisticated, and in many ways forgotten, wines are grown.

In preparation for Saldaña's Vancouver seminar (see details at end of column), I look today at six offerings available in local government liquor stores.

The Gonzalez Byass Elegante Manzanilla Dry is a super-light dry sherry that tends to be saltier than fino, thanks to its maturation cellar's sea-

side location. Look for the

traditional mix of almond/apple/walnut shell aromas that stem from the film-forming flor yeast that sits on the surface of the barrel while the wine ages. In Spain, manzanilla, like fino, is served chilled alongside salted almonds and olives or with a wide range of tapas. In B.C., sushi would be an alternative choice.

The Lustau Sherry Solera Reserva Dry Amontillado Los Arcos is textbook dry amontillado with a powerful nutty bouquet. It's naturally dry and soft and has an attractive fresh fruit flavour spiked with woody notes and hints of raisin. It is perfect for sipping solo or alongside a plate of tapas in a noisy bar.

Sherry's most recognizable brand may be Tio Pepe Extra Dry Palomino. Almonds, green olives and fruity notes mark the nose and flavour of this classic, bone-dry sherry, which is sold worldwide under the famous Tio Pepe moniker. It's an ideal match for savoury tapas-style appetizers and it should always be served chilled. If you fail to finish the bottle, return it to the fridge because, unlike its oxidized cousins, fino is best consumed young and fresh.

The journey continues with Lustau Sherry Solera Reserva Dry Oloroso Don Nuño, a rich concentrated wine, classically dry, with just a hint of sweetness. Flavours of rich stone fruit and walnuts with a citrus undercurrent can surprise given how rich and sweet the nose is. The finish is long and nutty. Serve with chicken for a spectacular match.

The brown wine in the group is the Lustau East India Solera Sherry, whose tradition requires the blending of rich, dry oloroso and sweet sherries aged for yet another year in a humid environment. The nose is a complex array of spices, burnt sugar, raisins, figs, walnuts and orange peel. It's sweet and smooth with what many have described as a treacle-like consistency and a fiery, spicy finish. Serve with a good book and a blazing fire.

Sweet sherry is always a best-seller and one of the best values in our market is the Croft Original Fine Pale Cream Sherry. Look for an interesting blend of bone-dry quality fino sherry with the added warmth and depth of a cream. The colour is pale but the wine is anything but, with its nutty, sweet palate and smooth, luxurious finish. Serve it chilled and pair it with pate or salmon.

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The seminar by César Saldaña, general manager of the regulatory council for Sherry, will be held next Tuesday, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Pacific Palisades hotel, 1277 Robson St.

Chef Chris Wittaker, of Zin Restaurant, will provide gourmet canapés to inspire the pairing of new world food with old world wines. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased through the American Wine Society Web site at http://www.geocities.com/vawswine/events/ev_2003sherry.html

WEEKEND WINE TASTING: SHERRY, JEREZ - MANZANILLA, SPAIN

Wine: Gonzalez Byass Elegante Manzanilla Dry N/V
Price: $14.99
UPC: 8410023302401
Score: 15/20
Comments: A light, dry sherry awash in almond, apple and nutty aromas.

Wine: Lustau Sherry Solera Reserva Dry Amontillado Los Arcos N/V
Price: $11.95 (375 mL)
UPC: 97985649027
Score: 16.5/20
Comments: Textbook dry amontillado with its distinctive, nutty bouquet.

Wine: Tio Pepe Extra Dry Palomino N/V
Price: $22.95
UPC: 8410023000031
Score: 15/20
Comments: Almonds, green olives and fruity aromas and flavours.

Wine: Lustau Sherry Solera Reserva Dry Oloroso Don Nuño N/V
Price: $16.95 (375 mL)
UPC: 97985278029
Score: 16.5/20
Comments: Rich stone fruit and walnuts with a citrus undercurrent.

Wine: Lustau East India Solera Sherry N/V
Price: $17.45 (375mL)
UPC: 97985274021
Score: 17/20
Comments: Burnt sugar, raisins, figs, walnuts and orange peel.

Wine: Croft Original Fine Pale Cream Sherry N/V
Price: $19.99
UPC: 8410005421052
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Nutty, sweet palate with a smooth, almost luxurious finish.