All About Sherry! || The secrets behind Spain's misunderstood wine!

STOP THE PRESSES. Sherry is one of the most misunderstood drinks in the world. Everyone thinks it's that sickly sweet stuff your nan drinks at Christmastime. It's not. It's one of the most complex and romantic wines in the world. It also happens to be my favourite wine.
I head to the south of Spain, as well as drink around the capital, and snag a couple of talking heads, to try and dispel some myths about this most fantastic drink and hopefully show off its inherent romance!
Salud!
SUBSCRIBE for more content!!
Follow on:
Twitter - @lukedarracott
Instagram - lukedarracott
Bars visited included...
In Madrid:
Angelita
Casa Baranda
Casa Gonzalez
Zahara Osborne
La Caleta Taberna Gaditana
O Pazo de Lugo
La Fisna
Posada del Leon de Oro
Jerez:
Tabanco San Pablo
Tabanco El Pasaje
Tabanco La Pandilla
El Guitarrón de San Pedro
Bar Juanito
Sanlúcar de Barrameda:
Casa Balbino
Barbiana

[@cathyruggieri-davidson3081]

WOW!! Love love this video!! Not only does it offer an Excellent educational tutorial, but for me it revives the beautiful memories of time spent in gorgeous Andalusia years ago. Longing now to return.

[@martincoxon1329]

Hey, its Luke....stumbled across this on a late night booze riddled youtube dive. we did your wine tasting in madrid last november, still boring our friends about how good it was..... nice video...i love sherry me......keep it up. hope to return....that red you recommended was an absolute steal.....

[@TheUnknownWinecaster]

Terrific video! Not only visually impressive, but there're some really interesting insights from the winemakers. Worth watching several times. Cheers!

[@thegastrotraveler]

The Unknown Winecaster Thanks man! Can’t match you for detail, but I can Flamenco music and pretty tapas ;) Salud sir!

[@TheUnknownWinecaster]

Believe me, if there's anything I need more of in my life, it's Flamenco. Hey, question for you. What happens to a barrel in a Fino/Manzanilla solera when its flor dies. From everything I've read, the flor's not immortal -- dies in about 7 years. So, for example, if a barrel in the 2nd criadera, say, has its flor die, what's the protocol? Is the wine reassigned to barrels in the same solera with a new barrel swapped in or is the barrel moved to an oloroso solera and then you swap one in or does something else happened that I haven't imagined? I guess what I'm really asking is how do you keep the number of barrels in each criadera (and the solera row) stable given that some of them will lose their flor over time. No rush to answer, but I have to admit, the question has kept me up at night. Thanks in advance and salud!

[@Underneaththebottle]

I'd like to know the answer aswell! 😗 Great question! 🍷🙋

[@thegastrotraveler]

Ah! Missed this! Right. So here's my two cents. Fino/Manazanilla - wine in the barrel, flor on top. Happy Days. If the wine prematurely dies, which is as far as I understand basically not a thing that occurs very often, but isn't ruined, and has started to oxidise more, this gives rise to the rare Palo Cortado style of sherry. Those barrels are then I guess 'out' completely and will be kept aside to be aged and bottled as that style. A key point seems to be that the constant blending of the solera system helps keep the yeast layer alive so that there 'shouldn't' be a 'random' barrel or two to have to swap in. After the 7ish years of life, should the flor die naturally, presumably it's most of the barrels in this case - 'at the same time', your fino/manzanilla starts its Amontillado journey. Your Oloroso, never experiencing any of the 'biological' ageing with yeast, is able to just tinker away and oxidise in the corner like an old drunk. So really the barrel number is only a question of fino/manzanillas changing to amontillado due to the yeast dying. These bodegas have hundreds and thousands of barrels so I presume it's 'part of the process' to have some barrels turn early to oxidise (Palo Cortado) and then some selected fino/manzanilla barrels to carry on and oxidise when the yeast naturally dies (or by adding more alcohol at the behest of the winemakers) and becomes and Amontillado. This is as much as I've come up with haha. Hope it helps!

[@Underneaththebottle]

The best visual video I've seen on Sherry. Actually my favorite video so far!!Thanks Luke!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Underneath The Bottle Thanks so much man! Took a lot of work and self abuse but it was worth it haha

[@joey97007]

Great guide to infom beginners about sherry. I appreciate the music choice.

[@sonofsouthgreen]

Such a great mini doc Luke! Love all your videos but the little feature snapshots of sherry and vermouth are so excellent. This is the best yet - enough history and technique to geek out to as well as capturing the spirit and enjoyment of the drink and Spanish culture. Keep 'em coming!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Ben Green Thanks you sir. You are a scholar and a gent. I think my body and my bank account needs a break but I am harbouring ham-based dreams.

[@prestonw3878]

Loved this video. And appreciated the many shots of the bar tenders serving those generous pours of sherry.

[@rogerhwerner6997]

Wonderful wine. I've loved sherry for decades. This video is most informative about this type of wine.

[@thegastrotraveler]

Thanks! Long love the sherry drinkers!

[@erperejildo]

6:01 I didn't know about that and I live in Jerez

[@stuartjones8383]

Another great video Luke! I love your drink-based videos-- Vermouth, the wine series, now Sherry. If you ever get the chance, I think it'd be really interesting to see a cider tour of Asturias, like in Oviedo or Gijón or something. Just a suggestion, I know you're busy and trying to be friendly to the old wallet. Anyways, keep up the good work! Your channel is consistently one of my favorites to follow. Cheers from Toronto!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Stuart Jones Thanks so much man; it means a lot. It really does! I’d love to do a cider one! Next time I head north that’s on the list. Planning a potential ham one at the moment.

[@wimbledonfc9576]

Awesome, I’m really into Sherry, Vermouths etc at the minute. Thanks for taking the time to make this video Ps Bristol Cream ain’t the worst!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Made in Coatbridge My pleasure! Thanks for commenting. I think my liver has crawled away and died in a corner by now :D Nothing wrong with a well made cream!

[@wimbledonfc9576]

Ha I’d say that! I’m sure it will be ready for another foray into the world of Sherry and Spanish wine. Your videos from the continent class too, enjoyed the Austria video with the ceramic tankard place👌🏻 tried Palo Cortado for the first time a few weeks ago out of Morrisons in the uk, amazing!!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Made in Coatbridge Ah Thanks! I’m glad you saw them. Yeah, supermarkets are pretty good for Sherry. Check out the M&S and Waitrose own labels: they are made by the great Bodegas.

[@erperejildo]

6:01that's aiming!

[@triglos]

Amazing video and very educating. Fantastic work mate. Congratulations!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@DeborahDorothy]

Awesome video! Thoroughly enjoyed it

[@thegastrotraveler]

Deborah Musgrove Thanks Debs!!

[@n_i_t_w_i_t2004]

Awesome video! Frasier would be proud.

[@thegastrotraveler]

N_I_T_W_I_T Haha, Cheers man.

[@alexk3088]

I think that Frasier and Niles drinking sherry was more of a prop to highlight their snobbism (at the expense of the sherry). Throughout the series here and there they drop bits of knowledge about wine and Scotch, even Armagnac gets a mention, but never sherry. And they drink it from completely wrong stemware. 😎 I have yet to meet a person who is into sherry.

[@Bilal-fj1tr]

well done, clear and well explained.

[@thegastrotraveler]

bcg_wine Thanks very much!

[@izkormvach-prazoiad]

Very informative, thanks for sharing🥂

[@thegastrotraveler]

My pleasure!

[@lisalovelylpa]

I drink , Harvey’s , from Jerez, Spain, made since 1796, been drinking it since I was a little kid and I a lot, lot older now lol Winks Lisa

[@pemacal57]

Sherry, Xeres, Jerez and “Jerez Brandy” are the best wines in the world

[@lama4961]

👌

[@TechnologicZb]

Great for aging whiskey!

[@thegastrotraveler]

Khanate of the Mind Anen to that!

[@juanandradehuidobro1006]

Cada dia te kurras más los videos.......like y compartidoSalu2

[@thegastrotraveler]

Juan Andaré huidobro Muchas gracias Juan! Esto ha sido un proyecto de amor además.

[@juanandradehuidobro1006]

Se ve que te gusta mucho España.....lo haces muy bien

[@daphnerodriguez9980]

VERY EDUCATIONAL AMAZING THANKS YOU GOODNESS 🌟❤️🖤💚🤎 FAMILY DAPHNE COTTON ALWAYS 💜 AWESOME BEAUTIFUL ✨,