What's not to love about International Sherry Week 2023.
This wonderful Sherry festival runs every November, a true celebration of all things Jerez. At Fourth and Church this presents us an additional opportunity to showcase what's new from some of the most southern vineyards in Europe, and our favourite wine region.
With the exciting new changes taking place in the historical DO, recently announced by the Consejo Regulador, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, we are excited to be at the forefront of an exciting push to showcase some of the naturally produced Sherry's, sparkling and still wines from the traditional and the new wave of producers working in the region.
At the restaurant we select a weekly changing list of Sherry by the glass, always an interesting line up that aims to represent the different styles of wine from some of the great Pagos (vineyards) that have been aged in the different Bodegas of the nine Sherry towns. There may be a classic Fino such as Valdespinos 'Inocente' poured from a Magnum or a simple but delicious Manzanilla Gabriela, from Bodega Barrero. Some weightier styles of Amontillado, Oloroso and of course some medium and sweet styles. This means there is always a glass of something really cool to be paired with the wide range of dishes from our Set or A La Carte menus.
Maybe if we cant tempt you to a cold glass of Fino to kick off proceedings, one of our Sherry based cocktails may be just right for you? Our version of the classic Bamboo originally created in the1890s at the Grand Hotel In Yokohama, Japan by German bartender Louis Eppinger is a play on the classic Martini. Instead of Gin or Vodka we stir both Manzanilla and Amontillado with an extra dry Vermouth and a splash of a richer Vermouth Bianco, garnished with a salty olive. Other than being delicious, an advantage of the bamboo over the gin martini is how light it is, making it an ideal dinner companion, half the strength of an average martini and only slightly stronger than a glass of wine.
Another exciting option to consider on our wine list or when choosing a glass at the bar is one of the new wave of white wines being produced from vines in specific areas within the albariza vineyards that surround Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez and Chiclana. These uber modern un-fortified white wines produced from the Palomino grape really do capture the essence of the vineyards they derive from.
One such project is Bodega Cota 45, Ramiro Ibáñez, a prestigious oenologist from Jeréz who works as an adviser in different wineries of the Sherry Triangle, has built his Bodega in a boat repair shop overlooking the Guadalquivir river focusing on recovered native varieties and experimenting with the different "albariza" soils. The name refers to 45 metres above sea level, the point where Ramiro believes the best albariza soils can be found.
His delicious and direct UBE Miraflores is intense on the nose with aromas of ripe peaches, white flowers and fresh yeast, a super complex palate with lemon zest, red apple skin, preserved lemon all underpinned by a beautiful saltiness.
Another favourite of ours is Valdespino's Vina Macharnudo Alto Barrel-Fermented Palomino produced from grapes from the famous Pago Macharnudo Alto, a vineyard located in Jerez de la Frontera, planted on the typical Albariza soils. In the winery, the grapes ferment in sherry casks and age on their lees for 6 months showing the character of the Pago Macharnudo at its best, everything we love about Valdespino sherries in a single glass of white wine and we believe is truly something special.
So, why not take the opportunity to join us this month, sit at the bar or reserve a table and let us introduce you to some of the delights this region has to offer.
If you cant make it this month, take a look at our website and our huge selection of wines available online, the perfect one stop shop to choose something special to enjoy at home. The Jerez section is constantly updated with new treats, as they become available to us, check in regularly as sometimes there may only be an extremely limited quantity and when its gone its gone!
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