Sherry

Sherry is a fortified wine from Andalusia in south-west Spain, produced in the area around the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Most Sherry is made from the Palomino grape grown on chalky white albariza soil, and it is aged using the solera system, in which younger wines are gradually blended with older ones across rows of barrels. The result is a wine of remarkable consistency and complexity, and a far wider range of styles than many people expect.
Dry styles
Fino and Manzanilla are the lightest and driest. They age under a layer of natural yeast called flor, which protects the wine from air and gives a fresh, tangy flavour with notes of almond and bread dough. Manzanilla comes specifically from the coastal town of Sanlúcar and often has a faintly salty edge. Amontillado begins life under flor and then continues ageing in contact with air, turning amber and nutty. Oloroso is aged without flor from the start, producing a darker, fuller wine with flavours of walnut, toffee and dried fruit. The rarer Palo Cortado sits between the two, with the finesse of an Amontillado and the body of an Oloroso. All of these are naturally dry.
Sweet styles
Pedro Ximénez, usually shortened to PX, is made from sun-dried grapes and is intensely sweet, dark and syrupy, tasting of raisins, figs and molasses. Cream and Medium Sherries are blends of dry wine with a sweetening component. The neighbouring region of Montilla-Moriles, near Córdoba, makes wines in a very similar range of styles, mainly from the Pedro Ximénez grape.
Serving Sherry
Fino and Manzanilla should be served well chilled, treated like a white wine and finished within about a week of opening. They are superb with olives, almonds, cured ham, fried fish and seafood. Amontillado and Oloroso are best lightly chilled and go well with soups, mushrooms, game and hard cheeses, and will keep for several weeks once opened. PX is wonderful poured over vanilla ice cream or served with blue cheese and rich chocolate desserts.