Fino: The driest of the styles and the classic aperitif! Fino is delicate, lemon yellow and often comes with a tang of yeast. This type of Sherry is extremely food-friendly and goes wonderfully with tapas, grilled white fish, creamy cheeses, salted almonds, olives, anchovies, cured ham, and paella
Manzanilla: A close cousin of Fino, Manzanilla is produced in roughly the same manner, with one exception: It must be matured in the seaside city of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. This proximity to the ocean and its saltwater winds often gives it coastal qualities, including higher salinity and a lighter body. They are delicious with seafood, richer dishes like crab, and cured meats. With oysters… Fino and Manzanilla Sherry vie with Champagne as the greatest pairing on earth!
Amontillado: Another excellent aperitif! Amontillados begin life as a Fino, but the winemaker allows the flor to die, thus exposing the wine to the air. Amontillados are amber in color and have a nutty, dry to medium-dry character. They have more body than Finos and are versatile food wines, pairing comfortably with prawns, seafood soup, roast chicken, or a cheese plate.
Oloroso: A good Oloroso should be mahogany brown, nutty, rich, intensely fruited with plenty of dried fruits and peel tones and have a bone-dry finish with no cloying sweetness. (The exception is ‘Oloroso Dulce’ which are sweetened). Oloroso Sherry is aromatic and spicy. enjoy with braised beef, bitter chocolate, and bleu cheese. They drink like a finely aged bourbon.
Palo Cortado: Another in-between category of sherry, Palo Cortado is basically an aged Fino. Often described as having the nose of Amontillado with the body of an Oloroso, Palo Cortados typically have aromatic nuttiness, a honeyed quality, and a thicker texture than an Amontillado while remaining dry.
Pedro Ximénez: Sweet sherries are known by their grape varietal rather than a specific style. Pedro Ximénez sherries make up the lion’s share of this category. Pedro Ximénez sherries have a higher natural acidity and sugar content due to their fuller, plumper, and thinner-skinned grape. After harvest, the grapes are left to dry out. PX, as it is also known, has a thick, almost treacly texture, and an intense, rich flavor.
