Sherry, Manzanilla & Montilla

The word Sherry connotes different impressions, depending on the individual. Some think of it as a sweet, luscious wine; others see it as piercingly dry, or even salty or briny. To some, it is old-fashioned to the point of caricature--yet others see it as the epitome of cool. Some wine-lovers imagine sherry as an after-dinner drink, others as an incomparable partner to food. Certain aficiandos connect it with flor, that peculiar growth of yeast that forms a film on top of the wine when it is in the barrel, while to some it conjures up images of the solera system, the equally peculiar method of fractional blending that has become an integral part of its winemaking process. In truth, sherry encompasses all of these things and more.