Sherry Baby – The Red Daily Slosh

A month or so ago, a fellow blogger who is in the wine trade did a series of videos on sherry with a friend. His second instalment is above. The thing that struck me was the enthusiasm with which Mike of Please Bring Me My Wine and his co-conspirator, Amelia Singer, sipped and described the different styles of sherry. It made an impact on me. I wanted to feel some of that sherry love too.

The issue? I don’t like sherry. And that poses a problem. There’s an unwritten rule. Any person presenting themselves as a wine enthusiast is supposed to love, love, love any well made tipple. The more esoteric or obscure the grape the more street cred you earn by loving it. That’s why there are treatises on the Schönburger grape (and those that have sipped Schönburger know that the perfect pairing for Schönburger is regret). We’re allowed our favourites of course but we have to worship at the altar of all wine. Strangely it’s the only altar that I can get close to without lightning and thunder. God knows why that is. Where was I?

Oh yeah, all wine as worthy of our unquestioning love. Well, sherry has never really worked for me. But, given Mike and Amelia’s enthusiasm and expert education, I tried some well crafted sherries. Tried them with almonds, cheeses, olives. Tried them chilled, more chilled, less chilled. Didn’t like ’em. So what to do?

The Cool Way to Serve Your Guests Sherry

Well, when in doubt, go to the source. I’ve started planning a Fall trip to Andalusia and once there, in the home of sherry, I will befriend this mysterious elixir. Similar appreciation has befallen me with other previously dismissed food and drink. All it takes is the presence of a knowledgeable and cool looking dude or woman to educate me. Who am I kidding? I just put the ‘dude’ in there as cover. My uncontrolled need for coolness takes over and I am co-opted to extol the virtues of, in this case, sherry. “Yeah, I am definitely getting the herbal notes of that Manzanilla, Francisca.” I’ll let you know how it goes.

Recommendations for this weekend’s (January 20) release:

This weekend there’s a focus on Chile and sustainable wineries. I’ve had many of them in other vintages but don’t want to generalize to the vintages offered. One that I have had and can recommend is the 2010 Valdivieso Eclat #541128 $29.95. This is a big bugger – full-bodied and by now settling in nicely. It’s Carignan and Mourvèdre from old vines and carries a Mediterranean vibe to it. Wines from Chile twenty years ago were often characterized as young and rustic. This wine is all grown up and dressed in a tux. Classy.

Although not part of this release, my favourite organic red from Chile is the 2013 Emiliana Coyam #63891 $29.95. It’s a blend of 48% Syrah, 24% Carmenère, 11% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Mourvèdre, 3% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. I’m not shitting you. It’s as if, they just put everything they grow in there. But, that precision tells me that someone is paying attention to quality – purposeful and intent on crafting a particular style of wine. This is big in the glass and opens easily with a swish or two. Dry finish with a hit of acidity and moderate tannin that tells me that it would hold up against ribs or other burnt red meat. It’s still in stores. Buy now and save for the summer BBQ season.

After my trip to Puglia way back in 2014 (or was it 2013?), I quaffed an unusually large amount of Salice Salentino and Primitivo. An “unusually large amount” for me is………well. unusually large. Quite a lot. More than normal. If it were an elephant it would be Jumbo. I loved it. Lately, however, I’ve begged off for some reason. Well, that ended a while back when I read a post on wines of Puglia and, in particular, the wines of San Marzano. This week there is a beaut from there – the 2015 San Marzano Talò Primitivo di Manduria #455220 $16.95. This is a perfect wine for the winter – warming, bold, and chewy. I had it with leftover beef stew but it will pass as a crowd pleasing standing around wine as well.

I know some folks who take a pass on Crianza wines from Rioja; preferring instead the Reservas and Gran Reservas. I’ve had my share of underwhelming Crianzas too but there are some stalwarts that are tasty values. The Lopez de Haro ($14.95) and Viña Real ($18.95) come to mind. Then there is the 2014 Cune Crianza #039925 $16.95. This is a bit more Old School than the other two but reminds me of nights in Madrid – a Spanish house wine vibe. It is young still and could use a bit of air or time in bottle to round out and fruit up a bit. Red fruits, medium-to-full-bodied with a lip smacking medium finish. Little of the wood that many Reservas have in spades. Lighter, fresher.

If any of you know of Andalusia must-sees, places to stay, restaurants, etc. or slam dunk sherry labels let me know.

Cheers.

Bill