Guide to sherry types and food to match

Dry sherry types

Fino

Fino is the king of sherry and the one most sold in Spanish bars. It has a delicate, light golden colour and is crisp with a light taste with hints of almonds.
Serve with: Fino has a special ability to stimulate the taste buds and is good as an aperitif. Also good with fish and – especially salty ones like anchovies – seafood, salads with acidic dressings, Iberian ham, olives, light cheeses and cold soups like Gazpacho and Ajo Blanco.
Temperature: between 6 and 8 degrees.

Manzanilla

A light, straw-coloured wine with a pungent aroma of chamomile, almonds and dough, produced only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Similar to Fino, it is fresh with a slight acidity and bitter aftertaste.
Serve with: Tapas like seafood, cold soups like gazpacho, salads, fried fish or as an aperitif.
Temperature: between 6 and 8 degrees.

Amontillado

Matures longer than Fino and Manzanilla and is dark amber in colour and more complex in flavour. It is dry and intense with a hazelnut and herb aftertaste.
Serve with: Drink it chilled with soup, poultry, white fish, vegetable dishes such as artichokes and asparagus and medium aged cheeses.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees.

Oloroso

Powerful and full-bodied aged sherry with a scent of nuts. The colour ranges from dark amber to deep mahogany, depending on how long it has been aged. The taste is strong, spicy, round and rounded with a touch of nut and wood, and it is available both dry and semi-dry.
Serve with: hearty stews such as bull neck ragout, pork jowls, mushrooms, game and cheeses.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees. Oloroso can keep for several months in an open bottle.

Palo Cortado

Reminiscent of Amontadillo in aroma, it has a rich, nutty flavour reminiscent of Oloroso. The colour ranges from chestnut to mahogany.
Serve with: Black pudding, nuts, grilled dishes, game and poultry, aged and medium aged cheeses.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees. Can be kept in open bottles for up to several months.

Sweet sherry types

Pale Cream

Light straw to pale yellow in colour with a light, fresh semi-sweet taste with notes of hazelnut and floral.
Serve with: foie gras, pâté, blue cheese, fresh fruit (especially pear) or fruit desserts such as trifle, dried fruit and cake.
Temperature: leave to cool in the freezer and serve between 7 and 9 degrees.

Medium

The taste is initially a little dry, then becomes sweeter and fuller. The colour is from amber to dark chestnut. It smells of a mixture of Amontillado, quince and baked apple.
Serve with: Manchego cheese, quiche, goat cheese, spicy Indian and Thai dishes with curry or chili.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees.

Cream

A semi-sweet wine that is a sweet blend of Oloroso with added Pedro Ximénez, and also known as sweet Oloroso. It has a syrupy appearance with a colour ranging from chestnut to dark mahogany. The taste is full-bodied, strong Oloroso flavour mixed with a sweetness reminiscent of nougat or caramel.
Serve with: Drink it alone with ice and a slice of orange. Cream is also good with desserts like fruit, cake and ice cream or with a good blue cheese and foie gras.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees.

Sherry with natural sweetness

Moscatel

Sweet and very fruity sherry, with scents of orange blossom, jasmine, raisins. The sweet fruit flavour is combined with a slightly tart citrus taste. The colour ranges from chestnut to intense mahogany.
Serve with: chocolate cake, ice cream and cheese.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees.

Pedro Ximénez

Pedro Ximénez sherry is made from sun-dried grapes of the same name and is dark mahogany, velvety and syrupy. It tastes of figs and raisins infused with honey and candied fruit with notes of roasted coffee, chocolate and liquorice.
Serve with: Drink on its own (it’s a dessert in itself), with citrus fruits, bitter chocolate or blue cheese, or pour over ice.
Temperature: between 12 and 14 degrees. Younger wines can be drunk cooler.

Source: Vinos de Jerez