Sherry is a fortified wine that was once produced exclusively in
southern Spain, around the town of Jerez, but is now produced all over
the world, including in the United States. To make Sherry, wine is
fermented, then fortified with brandy (which gives the wine flavor and
preserves it), and the wine is aged in oak casks. Traditional Spanish
Sherry makers use the solera system (a complex system of blending old
and new wine in barrels) to produce consistently exceptional Sherries;
lower-quality Sherries are mass-produced and minimally aged.
There are two distinct Sherry styles, fino and Oloroso. Pale,
delicate, fino Sherry is the driest style, which can be further divided
into the slightly salty manzanilla (only produced in the seaside town of
Sanlúcar de Barrameda) and the longer-aged amontillado (which has
a nutty flavor). Oloroso Sherry is the other style; they're typically
aged longer than finos, and are sweeter, more robust, and darker. Serve
fino Sherry chilled as an aperitif; heavier Olorosos are better served
with dessert at room temperature.