Sherry, sherry, sherry – it’s so versatile. Drink Fino with salty snacks – great with almonds, mackerel, sardines, potato chips or olives. Or choose an Oloroso, an Amontillada or some Manzanilla.

This Alvear Pedro Ximenez has been hanging around since Christmas – long enough!  So we opened it after an evening out at a local tapas restaurant for dessert.

Clear and bright, it’s got a beautiful medium amber colour, the tone of golden tobacco, with marked legs noted.
Clean with medium plus intense aromas of sultana raisin, straw, brown sugar, thick clover honey and baking spices. A fully developed wine from the solera.
On the palate, it’s sweet with medium acidity with medium fortification. Full bodied wine, it’s got medium plus flavour intensity of ripe raisins (not surprising considering it’s PX), dried grass and straw, caramel and toffee, honey, ginger and cloves. The finish is medium.
Overall this is a ‘very good’ quality wine – the flavours and aromas are nicely balanced and well-integrated with the alcohol which doesn’t overwhelm. The only thing lacking is a longer finish that would move it up to be ‘outstanding’.

According to Sandeman & Lea in England, sherry sales are up 20% over the course of 2012 – something they attribute to the drink being celebrated in Downton Abbey. I say ‘hear, hear’. Thanks a lot, Lady Mary, Carson and Lord Grantham. I tip my hat to you – and I’ll do my best to boost sales on this side of the Atlantic.