The fortified wine from Jerez often served as an aperitif in Spain is sherry.
Sherry is produced in Andalusia from white grapes grown around Jerez de la Frontera. Its protected designation covers the Sherry Triangle, formed by Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María in Cádiz province. The English name “sherry” comes from older forms of the name Jerez.
Unlike ordinary table wine, sherry is fortified with grape spirit after fermentation. It comes in many styles: light, dry fino and manzanilla; nutty amontillado; richer oloroso; and intensely sweet wines made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes. This range is why sherry is not accurately described as always sweet.
Fino and manzanilla are classic aperitif choices, often served chilled with olives, almonds, seafood, or cured foods. Sherry’s aging methods are also distinctive: fino develops beneath a layer of flor yeast, while oloroso ages with greater exposure to oxygen. Wines from different years are commonly blended through the solera system, so bottles usually do not carry a single vintage year.