The Sherry Triangle

The area between the cities of Sanlucar de Barrameda, Cadiz and Jerez de la Frontera is known as the sherry triangle and each of these cities contain sherry warehouses for well-known brands.

The names are surprisingly British: Osborne, Terry, Harvey and Sandeman. In fact it was possibly Sir Francis Drake who instigated the British interest in sherry when he sacked Cadiz in 1587 and stole 3000 barrels of the local wine.

There are 7 types of sherry ranging from very dry to very sweet.

Manzanilla	dry and fresh	olives, almonds and sushi
Fino	very dry and pale	fish, shellfish and some cheese
Amontillado	off dry	chicken, rabbit, foie gras and blue cheese
Oloroso	dry, dark and nutty	game and red meat
Pale cream	75% Fino & 25% Pedro Ximenez	fresh fruit
Cream	sweet	fruit cake and desserts
Pedro Ximenez	very sweet	chocolate and biscotti

 

The process

There are three types of grape used for the production of Sherry: Palomino, Muscat of Alexandria (Moscatel) and Pedro Ximénez. The Palomino is the dominant grape in the region as it produces large bunches of pale green grapes with a potential alcohol level of 11–12.5 degrees. The other two grapes are mainly used for sweetening purposes.

The grapes are pressed and allowed to ferment and a layer of yeast film forms on the top of the developing wine. This is called the flor, and it forms from yeasts in the winery environment when the sherry casks are left incompletely filled. Sherry butts (barrels) are made of American oak and usually have a capacity of 600 litres, but are only filled to 500 litres, leaving a large air space. The growth of the flor protects the developing wine from oxidation and contributes a distinctive flavour to the wine.

At the end of the year when fermentation is complete, the wine is classified and then fortified. The cellarmaster tastes wine from the different casks and separates out the lighter wines to become fino, and the heavier  wines to become oloroso.

Zambombas and Carreras de Caballo

I find myself in the city of Sanlucar de Barrameda for the long weekend. Both the Saturday 6^th and the Monday 8^th of December are public holidays and it’s a time for celebration. The helpful tourist information office has given me a list of places to visit and another list of activities taking place in the town this month. There seems to be plenty to keep me occupied for the next few days.

On the first day I walk through the busy indoor market, smelling of salty fish and Arabic spices, and up to the old part of city. Amongst the large sherry warehouses I find the 15th century castle with a pleasant café inside the walls. Nearby is the Barbadillo sherry shop and museum where I learn about the 7 types of sherry that are produced in the region and get to try a few. The locally produced manzanilla is served chilled and has a sharp, acidic dryness that wakes me up but curls my tongue.

Down the road, hidden behind the imposing medieval Church of Our Lady of O, is the Ducal Palace of Medina Sidonia. There are some public areas, the palace is also a hotel, but to access the state rooms I need to join a guided tour in Spanish. I struggle to keep up with all the historical dates and names of the artists who painted the dreary religious paintings, which are badly in need of some restoration. There is antique furniture from all over Europe and beyond, displays of fans and ceramics, four poster beds with copper bedpans to warm the sheets and picture windows looking down on the city and beyond to the river Guadalquivir and the Donana National Park beyond.

On the second day I go in search of Zambombas. The tourist office described it as flamenco to Jingle Bells so I’m not quite sure what to expect. Perhaps professional flamenco dancers stamping away to Christmas carols? I check out the main squares, which are busy with people chatting over tapas and glasses of manzanilla, but no flamenco. However, as I stroll further into the maze of side streets, I can hear singing. Following the sounds, I arrive at a bar where a group of musicians are playing away while the locals dance in the streets. The young girls are particularly keen to show off their talents. There’s no Jingle Bells but the spirit of Christmas flamenco is definitely flowing through their bodies to the tips of their fingers.

On the third day I walk along the promenade to the far end of the beach to see a tradition dating back to 1845. Each August, horse races are held along the beach and I am lucky to arrive during an additional event for the younger riders. It’s all very professional with a parade ground where the judges and onlookers can view the horses and riders before the race. Then the horses are ridden along the beach for the stated distance of race before thundering back down along the sand to the finish line. There is a chill wind blowing but everyone is wrapped up and the stalls of free sherry help to warm us from the inside out.