Know your étiquette: Fino sherry

¡Viva España and it’s truly unique vino!

We’re off to Andalucía and the vineyards of Jerez today to look at Fino.

Buckle up because it’s a pretty fast ride. Sorry about that - there’s just so much that’s unusual about crafting dry sherry that it’s hard to cut a long story short. I’ll do a less breathless follow-up on Fino’s sibling Manzanilla soon that should help some of this info stick.

But for now I’d leave you in the capable hand’s of Valdespino, a member of the prestigious Grandes Pagos de España family of winegrowers seeking to highlight the singularity of Spain’s scattered gems.

Valdespino’s single-vineyard Inocente comes from Macharnudo Alto, whose exemplary Albariza soils are vital for retaining water in this hot Mediterranean climate with its dry summers.

It’s an easy-to-find bargain, this, crafted through 10 stages of a criaderas and solera system and hitting your glass with an average age of 10 years. And remember, these wines are best consumed as soon to release as possible - whack it in the fridge and sip, sip, sip away…