Cloudy wine lovers, here’s a Sherry you may like! And if the recent Wine Business article claiming $1.5 billion loss in sales versus a year earlier in the Sherry and Vermouth categories means anything to you, it’s time to drink more Fino en Rama Sherry!
This is not your grandfather’s digestif. I hope we have established that by now. In reality, Sherry is a diverse category of wine that includes both the sweetest wine in the world (Pedro Ximénez) and the driest. It can be made in both an oxidative style (Oloroso), or in a biological style under a thick layer of a yeast called flor (Fino, Manzanilla). And if that’s not interesting enough for you, Sherries can even be made using both techniques (Palo Cortado, Amontillado).
Furthermore, Sherry as a dry fortified wine complements practically any cuisine. Though it may be commonly paired with Spanish tapas, a certain writer of this article stumbled upon the pairing of spaghetti and meat sauce with Oloroso. It was life changing. Equally, don’t be afraid to order a glass of Fino as an aperitif, or as a companion to a shawarma dish with hummus and other Israeli spices.
Are you feeling a bit behind on Sherry? Visit your local wine shop and ask for a few bottles to begin your tasting journey. Your palate will not be bored.
Tio Pepe Fino en Rama Sherry
The latter pairing mentioned accompanied the Tio Pepe Fino en Rama. “En Rama” is a style of Sherry in its “raw” state. Others may call this “natural wine.” Essentially, the Sherry en rama is coming straight from the barrel into the bottle. This happens in the spring, when the flor is thickest, after the wine ages a minimum of five years. The back label lists the bottling date.
Tio Pepe Fino en Rama is an unfiltered and unfined wine, giving it a cloudy and creamy texture. The aromas and flavors are the ones you know and love from the Palomino grape and flor, as traditionally expressed in Fino Sherry. Fresh citrus, with brioche-y characteristics, and a touch of nuttiness, along with a refreshingly bitter finish.
Like other Sherry, Fino en Rama should be served chilled. However, unlike more oxidative styles that can stay preserved longer, you should finish the bottle of Fino within a week of opening it.
Support Sherry! Drink this delicious wine! But especially check out the limited release Tio Pepe Fino en Rama by Bodegas González Bypass. Every wine lover should experience this delicacy from Jerez.
You can find the 375 ml bottle at Happy Wine Calle Ocho for $19.99.
Find more WOTW suggestions on our Wine page on Wine Guide Miami.
Jacqueline is a professional wine + travel writer, radio host, wine columnist, and consultant based in Miami, FL.
She is the monthly “Vino” columnist for Biscayne Times newspaper, a guest host covering the drinks segment on Linda Gassenheimer’s podcast show, “Food, News, and Views,” and Star Wine List’s Miami Ambassador.
Jacqueline is a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist & WSET 3.
