Sherry

Sherry, the English name of a Spanish wine which is made from grapes grown in the neighbourhood of Xeres de 1a Frontera, Andalusia. The qualities of the wine, which is made both from white and red grapes, are owing to the nature of the soil, which is composed of carbonate of lime, magnesia, clay, and silex. The grapes, after drying, are placed in vats and covered with a layer of gypsum, and then trodden. The wine is allowed to ferment for a couple of months, is then racked off, and that which is intended for exportation is fortified with brandy. Sherry is at its best after fifteen or twenty years in bottle. The wine owes its nutty flavour to an admixture of bitter almonds . The best sherry is Amontillado, the supply being limited by the small district which possesses the suitable soil. Cadiz is the principal seat of exportation.