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


Behind the Cork™ - Harveys Bristol Cream

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Harveys Bristol Cream - Solera Sherry ($24.99)

Did you know that Harveys Bristol Cream is Sherry? It’s actually the number one selling Sherry in the world! And, it’s perfect for the holidays!

John Harveys & Sons was founded in 1796 in Bristol England where they imported Sherry from Spain. And, in 1882, Harveys became the only Spanish product with a Royal Warrant from the Queen of England.

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 this one chilled (50-55 F) to open up this Sherry’s rich, mellow flavor notes that provide a long-lasting satisfying finish. Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - González Byass NOE 30 year Sherry

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González Byass NOE 30 year Sherry ($49.99)

This Sherry is from Jerez de la Frontera in south-western Spain. All true Sherry fortified wine comes from the vineyards around Jerez de la Frontera and the neighboring towns of Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Together they form the three points known as the 'Sherry Triangle.’

This NOE sherry, which has aged for over 30 years, follows a careful winemaking process that results in an impressive showing of the Pedro Ximénez grape.

Antonio Flores, winemaker and master blender at González Byass, is the maker of this sherry.

It has an intense dark brown color, with aromas of figs, coffee and spices. It is very sweet, fresh and has a silky palate.

This is dessert in a glass. Serve this one slightly chilled on its own or with acidic desserts

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster on behalf of González Byass