Here’s the 12th installment of The Wine Chef’s December “Advent Calendar” wine series.
Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry
In her best-selling book, The Wine Bible, Wine Educator Karen MacNeil said, “If there were justice in the wine cosmos, Sherry would be one of the world’s best-loved, oft-sipped wines, As it stands, Sherry – the unsung hero of five great wine classics (Sherry, Port, Madeira, Champagne, and Tokaji) – is largely misunderstood and underappreciated. That it is sometimes cast as the libation of little old ladies is nothing if not amusing. Sherry, after all, is the daily drink of southern Spanish men- known for their machismo, love of bullfights, and prowess at horseracing, not to mention their predilection for bars and cigars.”
Many people think Sherry is a sweet drink, but there are several styles—mostly dry and irresistibly delicious. Manzanilla and Fino are two bone-dry versions. They are the favorites of the Spanish, especially when paired with a spread of tasty tapas—think garlicky grilled shrimp or bowls of green olives drizzled with olive oil.
I usually get a hankering for sherry when seafood is on the menu, and Manzanilla is my top choice. This light and elegant wine hails exclusively from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a small seaside town in southern Spain. The humid ocean air lends the wine its signature sea spray aroma and crisp, salty tang—a true taste of the coast.
One of my favorites is Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla. Its savory, salty character enhances the brininess of
This Article was originally published on The Wine Chef
