What does sherry taste like?
Sherry tastes nutty and savory, and most of it is bone dry: fino and manzanilla are salty and almondy, amontillado and oloroso are richer and toastier, and only some styles are sweet.
Sherry
nutty, salty and bone-dry
Sherry is a fortified wine from around Jerez in southern Spain. The lightest styles, fino and manzanilla, age under a layer of yeast called flor, which keeps them pale and gives them a salty, almondy, bready tang, like green olives and toasted nuts. Amontillado and oloroso age with more air, so they turn amber and taste of walnuts, caramel and spice, while staying dry. Then there's Pedro Ximénez (PX), which is dark, syrupy and tastes like raisins and figs. Your grandma's cream sherry is a sweet blend.
Where you’ll see it
Chilled fino or manzanilla with tapas like olives, almonds and jamón, sherry flights at Spanish spots, PX with dessert or poured over ice cream, and in cocktails like the Sherry Cobbler, Bamboo and Adonis.
Order it if you like salty snacks, nuts and dry white wine, and want something more interesting with tapas.
Quick questions
- Is sherry sweet?
- Mostly not. Fino, manzanilla, amontillado and oloroso are dry. Pedro Ximénez, moscatel and cream sherry are sweet, so check the style.
- What's the difference between sherry and port?
- Sherry is Spanish and mostly dry, often nutty or salty. Port is Portuguese, usually red and almost always sweet, with jammy dark fruit.