Sherry is one of the world’s most fascinating wine styles. However, it is often misunderstood. Many people assume that all Sherries are sweet, rich and old-fashioned. In reality, Sherry includes a wide range of styles, from light and crisp wines to intensely sweet and complex examples.
To understand the different styles of Sherry, it helps to first understand fortified wines. Fortified wines contain additional alcohol, usually in the form of grape spirit. This process increases the wine’s alcohol level and influences its final style. While Port is always sweet, most traditional Sherries are dry. However, producers can also create sweet styles by adding a sweetening component later.
For students pursuing a wine course, wine certification or WSET Level 2 Wines, Sherry provides an excellent example of how production and ageing techniques influence flavour and aroma.
What Is Sherry?
Sherry is a fortified wine produced around the town of Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain. Most styles begin with a simple dry white wine made from Palomino grapes.
Once fermentation finishes, producers add grape spirit to fortify the wine. The wine then enters a unique ageing system known as the solera system. This system contains wines of different ages stored in old oak casks. As the wines mature, producers gradually blend them together. Consequently, the final wine develops consistency, complexity and distinctive character.
The style of Sherry depends largely on how the wine ages. Some wines age under a protective layer of yeast called flor, while others age in contact with oxygen.
Dry Styles of Sherry
Dry Sherries form the backbone of the category. Although they start from a similar base wine, different ageing methods create remarkably different styles.
Oloroso Sherry
Oloroso means “scented in Spanish. After fermentation, producers fortify this style to achieve a higher alcohol level- 17 to 22 percent. This addition halts the growth of yeast and the wine ages entirely in contact with oxygen.
As a result, Oloroso becomes darker in colour and gains much deeper and richer flavours. Common flavour notes include raisins, prunes, walnuts and caramel. Compared to Fino and Amontillado, Oloroso feels fuller-bodied and more powerful.
Fino Sherry
Fino is the lightest and freshest style of Sherry.
It ages under a thick layer of flor, which protects the wine from oxygen. As a result, Fino remains pale lemon in colour and develops delicate aromas of apple and almonds. In addition, the flor contributes distinctive bread dough notes that are unique to this style. The yeast also eats up all the sugar in the wine, making it bone dry.
Fino is prone to quick oxidation, so it must be enjoyed fresh and served cold.
Amontillado Sherry
Amontillado sits between Fino and Oloroso in style.
Initially, it ages under flor like a Fino. However, producers later increase the ABV to 16-22 percent, which kills the yeast. The wine then continues ageing in contact with oxygen.
Consequently, Amontillado combines characteristics from both ageing methods. It develops nutty flavours such as walnuts and caramel while still retaining some of the bread dough notes created by flor. It shows a deeper colour and richer texture than Fino. Amontillado is quite food-friendly and can be paired with everything from roast chicken and sauteed mushroom to Blue Cheese.
Sweet Styles of Sherry
Although traditional Sherry is usually dry, producers also make several sweet styles.
Pale Cream
Pale Cream is essentially a sweetened version of Fino. Producers use purified grape sugar called Mosto Concentrado Rectificado which adds sweetness but retains the straw-gold colour of the wine.
Along with notes of dough and almonds the wines has notes lemon. Its crisp acidity prevents it from being cloying.
Medium Sherry
Medium Sherry is commonly made by sweetening an Amontillado.
As a result, it combines the nutty complexity of Amontillado with a touch of sweetness. This balance creates a style that feels approachable while still maintaining depth and character.
Cream Sherry
Cream Sherry typically begins as an Oloroso before sweetening.
Consequently, it displays rich flavours of dried fruits, nuts and caramel alongside noticeable sweetness. Its smooth texture and fuller body make it one of the most recognised sweet Sherry styles worldwide.
Pedro Ximénez (PX)
Pedro Ximénez, often called PX, is the sweetest and richest style of Sherry.
Producers make it from Pedro Ximénez grapes that have been concentrated by sun-drying. The resulting wine is deep brown in colour and cloying sweetness, with 300 to 400 grams of residual sugar per liter.
Flavour notes commonly include fig, prune, raisin, liquorice and molasses. Many wine lovers enjoy it on its own as a dessert wine. PX sherry is heavily sought after by spirit makers to add notes of dark fruits, baking spices and toffee to their final product.
If you’d like to explore Sherry, fortified wines and the world’s major wine regions in greater depth, consider joining the upcoming WSET Level 2 Award in Wines at Sonal Holland Academy.
Through guided tastings and structured learning, you’ll build the confidence to understand, analyse and discuss wines from around the world. Click here to know more about our upcoming batches for this course.
