Hidalgo la Gitana Manzanilla Sherry

SHERRY ANYONE? I'm not usually a sherry drinker; in fact, I'd normally go some distance to avoid it. Memories of various cream sherries, pale or dark, exchanged at Christmas or as thank-you gifts ensured further sinister connotations. The sickly sweet taste didn't help. A few months ago, dining at a friend's, I almost wept when offered sherry to accompany the early evening savoury nibbles. Seeing my distress, my friend reassured me it wasn't the usual syrup. They were right. HIDALDO'S LA GITANA Bodegas Hidalgo was founded in 1792 in Andalucia, and is one of Spain's oldest wine brands. Large ... more

When I mention the word sherry to my friends, I am usually greeted with shouts of “Yeuck! Not that sticky brown stuff that Aunty drinks at Christmas?”. Personally, I think that this is rather unfair on aunts, but it is also a sadly blinkered view on what is one of the great wines of the world. A few facts about sherry: All sherry starts off life as a dry white wine made from palomino grapes, and when I say dry, I mean about as dry as a wine can get. There are two basic types of sherry, oloroso and fino. The wine is matured in casks filled to about two thirds full. Sometimes a sort of carpet of ... more