Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes grown near the town of Jerez, Spain. In Spanish, it’s called vino de Jerez. The word sherry is an anglicisation of Jerez. In Spanish law, sherry must come from the Sherry Triangle – the area between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María.
After fermentation is complete, sherry is fortified with brandy. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, most sherries are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later.
Sherry is produced from dry, light versions, such as finos to darker and heavier versions known as olorosos, all made from the Palomino grape. Sweet dessert wines are also made, from Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel grapes.
