A type of fortified wine, sherry has delighted palettes for thousands of years. Whether you recently started drinking sherry or want to sample the famed beverage for the first time, take a moment to learn more about it. This complex blend of liquids has a unique history.

A Brief Guide to Sherry

History

Wine presses date back to the time of the Phoenicians, traders who populated the Western Mediterranean coast over 3,000 years ago. Their winemaking prowess influenced subsequent inhabitants, including the Romans, Greeks, and Carthaginians.

Romans founded the city now known as Jerez and began exporting “Vinum Ceretensis,” a wine mixed with alcohol to preserve it for traveling. The fortified beverage was shipped throughout the Roman Empire, where it gained a foothold during the Moorish occupation of Andalusia.

Sherry’s popularity soared during the 13th and 14th centuries. Christopher Columbus brought it to the New World in the late 1400s, while Sir Francis Drake introduced sherry to Britain after his plunder of Cadiz in 1587. Merchants shipped sherry regularly during the 17th and 18th centuries, and it is still enjoyed today.

How It’s Made

The alcohol-infused wine is made exclusively from green grapes using a system called “soleras y criaderas.” It refers to fractional blending, or using young and old wines to refresh and mature each other.

Each solera features three to eight barrel tiers with the oldest barrels on the bottom. They get replaced by the next-oldest barrels when they are removed for blending. Some soleras within sherry production centers are hundreds of years old.

Types

Sherry is made from palomino, muscat, or Pedro Ximénez grapes. Types include Fino, a dry sherry with yeast notes; Amontillado, a dry, amber-colored beverage with nutty aromas; and Oloroso, a mahogany-hued libation that undergoes the longest aging process. Other sherries include sweetened cream and pale cream versions that do not feature the crisp aroma of Fino varieties.

Find the perfect sherry for your palette at Beverage World Package Store in Doraville, GA. The liquor store and wine distributor sells hand-picked libations for affordable prices and offers a membership program for deeper discounts. Stop by the store today for recommendations from a friendly and knowledgeable staff member or call (770) 441-0001 with inventory questions. Check out the latest specials online.