I may be America’s last sherry fan. Sherry is an extraordinary wine, deep in tradition and the product of extraordinary effort in the cellar yet virtually ignored in American homes and restaurants alike. Part of the problem is that is widely (and only partially correctly) thought of as a sweet dessert wine. As I pour myself a glass of palo cortado, I invite you to learn a bit about dry sherry, one of my favorite aperitifs. Then I’ll make some recommendations to help you begin your sherry journey.
Sherry is a fortified wine produced from Palomino grapes grown within the boundaries of DO Jerez‑Xérès‑Sherry and aged within the historic Sherry Triangle formed by the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Although sherry encompasses a wide range of styles, this article focuses on dry sherry: the biologically and oxidatively aged wines that reflect the soul of Andalusian viticulture.
Harvest
The best dry sherry begins in the luminous white albariza soils of Jerez Superior. Albariza is a miraculous soil whose high chalk content allows it to retain winter moisture and sustain vines through the scorching Andalusian summer. It is a miracle without which viticulture would be nearly impossible in this sundrenched southernmost wine region in continental Europe. In the vineyards, when the Palomino Fino grapes reach perfect ripeness (typically in early September) growers harvest them quickly to preserve freshness and avoid oxidation.
Pressing
The harvested grapes are rushed to specialized lagares or pressing houses near the vineyards for pressing. The lagares are designed to handle large volumes of fruit efficiently while maintaining strict separation of juice fractions that will determine the wine’s destiny. The grapes are pressed in three phases, which results in three distinct juice fractions:
- Primera yema: the free‑run juice, considered the most delicate and highest quality. It is destined for the lightest, most refined sherries. It represents approximately 65% of the total volume of the pressed juice.
- Segunda yema: a slightly more structured press fraction, still suitable for quality dry sherry but with more body. It represents approximately 23% of the total volume of the pressed juice.
- Mosto prensa: the harder press wine, richer in phenolics and typically reserved for distillation or non‑premium uses.
Fermentation
The primera and segunda yema are fermented separately, preserving their individual character.
Sherry producers traditionally rely on indigenous yeasts that thrive in the warm, maritime climate. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel or neutral vessels and proceeds to complete dryness, resulting in base wines around 11–12% alcohol. These young wines are then evaluated and classified for their suitability for biological or oxidative aging, which we’ll talk about soon.
First Classification
Once fermentation is complete, the capataz (cellar master) performs the first classification, assessing each wine’s color, clarity, aroma and finesse.
- Wines showing exceptional paleness, delicacy and aromatic lift are marked with a vertical slash (/), indicating their suitability for biological aging under flor. These wines will become Fino or Manzanilla, depending on where they mature.
- Wines with greater body, depth and structure are marked with an “O”, indicating their destiny as Oloroso, which undergoes oxidative aging.
Fortification
Before aging, the wines are fortified using mitad y mitad, a blend of wine and neutral grape spirit.
- Oloroso candidates are fortified to 17% ABV, a strength that prevents flor formation and sets the stage for oxidative development.
- Fino/Manzanilla candidates are fortified to 15–15.5% ABV, a level that encourages the growth of flor, the protective veil of yeast essential to biological aging.
Sobretabla and Second Classification
The fortified wines enter a stage called sobretabla, a period of early maturation lasting several months. During sobretabla, the wines begin to show their true character:
- Some biologically aged candidates develop a strong, healthy flor and maintain their finesse.
- Others show more structure or lose flor vigor, prompting reclassification.
At the second classification, wines are definitively assigned to their long‑term aging pathways, i.e., biological or oxidative.
Aging
Biological Aging: Fino and Manzanilla
Biological aging occurs under a living layer of flor, which protects the wine from oxygen and acetobacter (the bacteria responsible for vinegar production) and metabolizes certain compounds (i.e., alcohol, acid and glycerin), creating hallmark aromas of almond, bread dough, chamomile and sea breeze.
- Fino is aged primarily in Jerez or El Puerto de Santa María, where flor is robust but slightly less persistent than in Sanlúcar.
- Manzanilla is aged exclusively in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where cooler, more humid conditions encourage a thicker, more active flor, resulting in an even lighter, more saline profile.
Oxidative Aging: Oloroso, Amontillado and Palo Cortado
Oxidative aging exposes wine to controlled oxygenation in seasoned American oak barrels. Over years, often decades, the wines darken, concentrate and develop complex notes of walnut, toffee, orange peel and spice.
- Oloroso is fully oxidative from the start, resulting in a sherry that is powerful, structured and deeply nutty.
- Amontillado begins under flor and undergoes complete biological maturation. The flor yeast eventually starves as nutrients run out, or it is killed intentionally by re-fortifying the wine to around 17% ABV. Then the wine finishes aging oxidatively resulting in a sherry that combines the finesse of flor aging with the nutty richness and savory characteristics of oxidation aging.
- Palo Cortado is rare, aromatic and silky. It is a bridge between Amontillado and Oloroso. Palo Cortado begins life as a wine marked for biological aging but shows unexpected aromatic depth and structure during sobretabla. It is reclassified, fortified and aged oxidatively. Palo Cortado combines the aromatic elegance of Amontillado with the textural richness of Oloroso.
Recommended Serving Temperatures
Dry sherry is best when served at cooler temperatures, relative to other dry wines. I like to serve Fino/Manzanilla sherries at 43-46° F/6-8° C. Amontillado, Oloroso and Palo Cortado are best at 54-57°F/12-14° C.
A Brief Note on the Solera System
All dry sherries mature in the solera system, a dynamic fractional‑blending method in which younger wines refresh older ones across multiple tiers of barrels. The solera ensures consistency, complexity and a living continuity of style. Because the solera deserves its own deep dive, I’ll explore it fully in a future article.
Top Producers & Top‑Rated Dry Sherries by Category
Below are five of the most consistently top‑rated producers, each with standout wines in most if not all the major dry sherry categories. This is not an exhaustive list, but it reflects the producers most frequently cited by critics for excellence across styles and includes my favorites.
1. Lustau (Jerez, El Puerto, Sanlúcar)
Lustau is the benchmark for diversity, precision and terroir expression. Their Almacenista series, wines sourced from small independent aging cellars, is one of the most respected collections in the region. They are deeply committed to sherry education. I completed their certification program and can claim to be a Certified Sherry Wine Scholar. If you’re a wine nerd like me, I can recommend the course, but if are a more casual learner you may prefer to download their Sherry Explorer series of ebooks to your mobile device, available at https://lustau.es/en/sherry-explorer/.
Top‑Rated Sherries
- Fino: Almacenista Fino del Puerto (José Luis González Obregón)
- Manzanilla: Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa
- Amontillado: Almacenista Amontillado del Puerto (José Luis González Obregón)
- Palo Cortado: Almacenista Palo Cortado Vides
- Oloroso: Lustau Oloroso Emperatriz Eugenia
2. Valdespino (Jerez)
One of the oldest houses, known for extremely traditional methods and some of the most profound single‑vineyard sherries.
Top‑Rated Sherries
- Fino: Ynocente (Single Vineyard Macharnudo Alto)
- Manzanilla: Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa
- Amontillado: Tío Diego
- Palo Cortado: Viejo C.P. (Calle Ponce)
- Oloroso: Don Gonzalo VOS
Valdespino’s Ynocente is often cited as the greatest Fino in Jerez.
3. Barbadillo (Sanlúcar de Barrameda)
The leading Manzanilla house, with vast soleras and deep historical roots.
Top‑Rated Sherries (for top-shelf, see their Reliquia line)
- Fino: Barbadillo Fino (less famous than their Manzanilla but still excellent)
- Manzanilla: Manzanilla Pasada “Pastora” or Solear en Rama
- Amontillado: Principe de Barbadillo Amontillado
- Palo Cortado: Barbadillo Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado
- Oloroso: Barbadillo Oloroso Cuco
Barbadillo’s Manzanillas, especially the seasonal en rama releases, are among the most celebrated biologically aged wines in Spain.
4. González Byass (Jerez)
A global icon, famous for the Tío Pepe solera and for producing some of the most collectible oxidative sherries.
Top‑Rated Sherries
- Fino: Tío Pepe En Rama
- Manzanilla: (GB does not specialize in Manzanilla; they do not age in Sanlúcar)
- Amontillado: Del Duque VORS, Tio Pepe Quatro Palmas (100 points, Peñin 2026)
- Palo Cortado: Leonor
- Oloroso: Matusalem VORS (sweetened by adding Pedro Ximenez)
Their VORS wines (Very Old Rare Sherry, 30+ years average age) are among the highest‑rated oxidative sherries.
5. Hidalgo – La Gitana (Sanlúcar de Barrameda)
A Manzanilla specialist with a cult following and exceptional oxidative wines.
Top‑Rated Sherries
- Fino: La Panesa Especial Fino
- Manzanilla: La Gitana and Manzanilla Pasada “Pastrana”
- Amontillado: Napoleón Amontillado
- Palo Cortado: Hidalgo Palo Cortado Wellington VORS
- Oloroso: Hidalgo Oloroso Faraón
Their Wellington Palo Cortado is legendary, one of the most consistently top‑rated sherries of any style.
Additional Producers Worth Mentioning
These houses also produce top‑tier dry sherry:
- Bodegas Tradición – exclusively VORS sherries, extremely high quality. Their Amontillado Tradición VORS received a rare 100 points from the Peñin Guide in 2026.
- Fernando de Castilla – excellent en rama bottlings and oxidative wines
- Williams & Humbert – strong across categories, especially Palo Cortado
I have finished my glass of palo cortado and the refill of that glass. I’ll stop here. In future blogs we’ll cover sweet sherries and some of the details I skimmed over in this article. We’ll talk about new trends in sherry such as independent producers and en rama (essentially, unfiltered) bottlings. We’ll talk about sherry cocktails and how to pair sherry with food (my favorite pairing is Amontillado with tonkotsu ramen).
Until next time, drink well.