It’s International Sherry Week from 8-14 October and what better way to celebrate than with South Africa’s leading range of sherries, Douglas Green! And if you think that Sherry is an old-fashioned drink only fit for a once-a-year toast at Christmas, cast away your preconceived notions, because this fascinating wine is fun, food-friendly, eclectic and bang-on-trend contemporary.
Sherry, a wine which is truly unique in the world, is exclusively produced in the wine-growing region of Jerez, Spain, and this is also where Douglas Green’s award-winning Pale Cream, Medium Dry, and Cream sherries are made. Sherry is aged and blended in oak casks using an ancient system called the criadera and solera method. It is a lightly fortified wine that can be made in dry (like Fino) and sweeter (like cream) styles.
The best way to enjoy Sherry is with the right food, and this is where the wine really shows its versatility. The Douglas Green Pale Cream Sherry is a dry Sherry that is produced from the Palomino grape. It has elegant floral and nutty aromas, with baked apple and tropical fruit on the palate. An excellent food wine, it is best served well chilled with dishes as diverse as soup and pâtés, fresh fruit, soft cheeses, seafood and tapas.
The Douglas Green Medium Dry Sherry is discreetly sweet with rich layers of nuts, spice, quince jelly and baked apple. It has a smooth mouthfeel with balanced acidity and a lingering, rich aftertaste. Best enjoyed slightly chilled, a Medium Dry Sherry makes a wonderful aperitif but is also a great match for strong cheeses, spicy dishes like curries, quiches and pastries.
And on the slightly sweeter side, there’s the Douglas Green Cream Sherry, which is spicy and nutty, with rich honey aromas and dried fruit flavours. The ideal temperature at which to serve a Cream is 12-16ᵒC. It can also be consumed as an aperitif, or as a cocktail served with ice and a slice of orange. When it comes to food, its pairing options are abundant – from spicy Thai curries, blue cheese and foie gras, to sweet desserts such as ice cream, custard tarts and sticky toffee pudding.
So whatever style tickles your taste buds, make sure you explore the wonderful world of Sherry this week – for a good Sherry enjoyed with the right food match will open up a treasure chest of flavours not to be found in any other tipple.
