Behind the Cork™ - It's International Sherry Week!

Four Sherry Offerings from Gonzalez Byass Paired with Spanish Turrón

This week, November 4th - November 10th, is International Sherry Week. And González Byass is leading the way.

González Byass was created in 1835 by Manuel Maria González and remains in family hands today, now in the fifth and sixth generation.  Founded in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, in the heart of Sherry country, it is dedicated to the production of high quality sherries.

Here are four excellent Sherries from González Byass:

  • Nectar Pedro Ximénez (375ml) $16.99 - Produced from 100% Pedro Ximénez grapes. This sherry is dessert in a glass! It is dark brown in color with aromas of molasses and brown sugar. On the palate it has rich flavors of raisins, figs and dates with syrupy sweetness. Paired best with the Egg Yolk Turrón.

  • Harveys Bristol Cream (375ml) $8.99 - Originally founded in Bristol England in 1796, it is now produced in Jerez, the home of sherry. Harveys is a light golden color with it distinctive nose from its blend of Oloroso, PX, Fino and Amonitillado that is aged for 7 years. It is mahogany in color with nice aromatics and flavors of raisins and caramel. Paired best with the Almond Nougat Turrón.

  • Viña AB Amontillado (375ml) $16.99 - Made from Palomino grapes that are fermented, then fortified before entering the Solera. Light amber in color, this Sherry is delicate with subtle note of oak from its 12 years in cask. Paired best with the Hard Almond Turrón.

  • Leonor Palo Cortado (375ml) $16.99 - Produced only from the “mosto yema” or the ‘free run’ juice, it is fermented and fortified prior to entering the Solera where it undergoes complete oxidation. It spends 12 years in American Oak casks. It is medium amber in color with a delicate nose. On the palate is has intense toasted notes and is sliky smooth. Paired best with the Soft Almond Turrón.

For those unfamiliar with Turrón, pastry chefs in the south of Spain have been making it for at least a thousand years. This famous confection is typically made of honey, nuts and usually egg whites. Many families keep a box of Turróns on hand for holiday parties or impromptu holiday gatherings - which is a great time to indulge with that perfect bottle of Sherry.

These four Sherries from Gonzalez Byass are a great fit as International Sherry Week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Gonzalez Byass

Behind the Cork™ - Tió Pepe Fino Sherry

Tió Pepe Fino Sherry ($19.99)

Tió Pepe’s Fino Sherry is from the city of Jarez in southern Spain's Andalusia region.

It’s made from the Palomino grape, fermented to the 11-12% ABV range, fortified to 15.5% and then enters the Tió Pepe Solera. While it spends four years in the Solera, a layer of yeast, known as the ‘flor’ forms on the surface of the Sherry within the cask. This protects the Sherry from oxygen and gives Tió Pepe its unique aroma and character.

The aroma is notable for its yeast along with notes of toasted almond. This Sherry is a pale golden yellow in color and light in flavor (hence Fino). It’s completely dry and, when served very chilled or over ice, makes for a wonderful aperitif. [ABV: 15%, TA: 4 g/L, pH:3, RS: <1 g/L]


So, whether you enjoy Sherry straight up or mixed in a cocktail, try this one from Tió Pepe. This is a very enjoyable Sherry that’s offered at a great price, making it a nice fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Gonzalez Byass

Behind the Cork™ - Sherry & Pie Pairings for International Sherry Week

In celebration of International Sherry Week (November 8-14) and, in preparation for the upcoming holidays, here are a few suggestions for some really super Sherry offerings and some pie pairing to go along with them.

Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847 Cream ($17) & Texas Two Step Pie

This Sherry is made from 75% Palomino and 25% Ximénex grapes. It is dark mahogany in color and velvety smooth. It has flavors of dried figs and raisins, with a toffee finish. Served slightly chilled.

Gonzalez Byass Alfonso Dry Oloroso ($17) & Apple Pie

This sherry is made from 100% Palomino. It has a beautiful mahogany color with a wonderful walnut aroma. This is not a sweet Sherry. It’s dry with great nutty flavor and a long smooth finish. Served slightly chilled.

Gonzalez Byass Néctar Pedro Ximenez ($17) & Cherry Pie

This Sherry is made from 100% Pedro Ximenez. It has a deep dark mahogany color. And, oh my! It’s rich and sweet and velvety smooth with flavors of caramel, dried fruits, figs, mocha, nuts and spices. It’s dessert in a glass, but also pairs well with cherry pie! Served slightly chilled.

Harveys Bristol Cream ($20) & Pecan Pie

Did you know that Harveys Bristol Cream is Sherry? It’s actually the number one selling Sherry in the world!

This Sherry is crafted from four different styles of Sherry (Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximexez) and aged between 3-20 years in the traditional Solera system.

Serve it chilled (50-55 F) to open up its rich, yet mellow flavor notes.

All four of these Sherry offerings are from Gonzalez Byass. The first three Gonzalez Byass offerings come in both 375 ml (pictured) and 750 ml bottles. The Harveys Bristol Cream, also from Gonzalez Byass, is featured in a 750 ml bottle.

Hope you get a chance to sip one of these wonderful Sherries during International Sherry Week, or anytime, and keep these amazing pie-pairing in mind as you do. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder...What is Sherry?

Sherry is an often-misunderstood drink. A lot of people think of it as something used in cooking or something their grand-parents sipped on. But, Sherry is actually a wonderful beverage that’s enjoyed by many, especially Spaniards, who sip the good stuff like a fine Scotch.

True Sherry must come from the Andalucía region in southern Spain. But, many throughout the world try to imitate Sherry and label it as such.

Sherry starts out like a wine but the final product is quite different from a traditional wine. The primary grape used in making Sherry is Palomino - a white grape. Pedro Ximenéz and Moscatel grapes are also used. Like wine, the juice of the grape is fermented. But, after fermentation, the wine is fortified with grape spirits to 17% to 22 % ABV.

Dry Sherry ages under a cap of flor yeast, preventing the wine's contact with oxygen. These wines are usually crisp and refreshing. Other Sherries are aged in contact with air which gives them a nutty, rich flavor.

Some Sherry is then aged in a solera system, where vintages are blended together to ensure the consistency of the final product.

Sherry's flavor ranges from bone dry (very low residual sugar) to syrupy sweet:

Dry Sherry: Made predominately from the Palomino grape:

  • Fino & Manzanilla - Very light in flavor. Can have salty fruit flavors.

  • Amontillado - A bit bolder with nutty flavors.

  • Palo Cortado - This is much richer with roasted flavors of molasses and coffee.

  • Oloroso - This style is intentionally exposed to oxygen during aging resulting its dark appearance and nutty flavors.

Sweet Sherry: Made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes:

  • Pedro Ximéniz (PX) - This is the sweetest style with flavors dates and figs.

  • Moscatel - This has sweet caramel flavors.

  • Sweet Sherry: A blend of Oloroso and PX Sherry.

And, it just so happens that International Sherry week is coming up November 8th through 14th, so look for this week’s Behind the Cork™ blog that will feature several really nice Sherry offerings. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Halloween Candy and Sherry!

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Well, it’s Halloween time and that means candy. Lots of candy! And I suggest pairing that candy with Sherry. So, I gathered up three nice bottles of Sherry and a bunch of candy and went to work!

First was the Harveys Bristol Cream ($20). It’s the number one selling Sherry in the world! It’s crafted from four different styles of Sherry (Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximexez) and aged between 3-20 years in the traditional Solera system. The result is creamy-smooth sherry that can be served chilled or over ice.

Next was the González Byass Alfonso ($25). This sherry is made from 100% Palomino. This sherry has a beautiful mahogany color with a wonderful walnut aroma. This is not a sweet Sherry. It’s dry with great nutty flavor and a long smooth finish.

Finally, was the González Byass Nectar ($25) that is made from 100% Pedro Ximenez. It has a deep dark mahogany color. And, oh my! It’s rich and sweet and velvety smooth with flavors of caramel, dried fruits, figs, mocha, nuts and spices. It’s dessert in a glass.

And pairing these wonderful bottles of Sherry with Halloween candy was a joy. It was hard work, but here are the winners…

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The Harveys Bristol Cream was excellent with the Baby Ruth bar, the nutty Alfonso was a hit with the Crunch bar and, my favorite was the Butterfinger with the deliciously rich Nectar!

It was a lot of fun tasting my way through all three of these great Sherry offerings from González Byass. And, I’d suggest you do the same with all that Halloween candy that’s going to be around the house. Happy Halloween and cheers!



Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications