December was another exciting month for the Sherry Wine Association of China as we had another wine dinner in Shanghai that paired great Sherries of different styles and producers with exciting Shaanxi style cuisine. The feedback from the dinner was outstanding and it seems the stimulating and exotic cuisine of Shaanxi Province in China has found a natural partner in dry, semi sweet and sweet Sherries. The dinner concludes our series of wine dinners that paired Sherries with various styles of popular Chinese as well as Asian cuisine.

The holiday season is a perfect time to enjoy Sherry wines with family and friends. From Christmas, Western New Year and the Chinese New Year next month, there's a style of Sherry that will perfectly match your occasion and foods. Check out this and future newsletters as more and more Sherries are available in Taiwan and Mainland China. The excitement of Sherry in China has just begun!

John H. Isacs
CEO of EnjoyGourmet Digital & Print Media
/Founder of Sherry Wine Association - Greater China

Greetings from Sherry Lovers

Like my other experiences with food and wine, a trip changed my perspective on Sherry wines. From slight resistance to acceptance, I grew to love Sherries from a trip to Spain. That trip gave me a rare opportunity to fully taste and appreciate the different flavors of Sherries. The nose of Manzanilla smells like flowers and fruit, but with a salty taste like the breeze of seas.

Pedro Ximenez’s full body and long, lingering finish are equally mesmerizing. Step by step, from being somewhat shocked and indifferent, I became more and more intoxicated by the sometimes sharp and complex yet sometimes rich and sweet tastes of Sherry wines. From that on, my heart belongs to the wonderful world of Sherries.

Yi-lan Yeh
Gourmet Writer

The Municipal Tourism and Business Development offices of Sanlúcar Town Council have launched the "1st Mosto Route of Sanlúcar", a tourist package which combines tours of the local mosto (must) producing facilities with tastings in the area's restaurants and hotels, with the aim of reviving and strengthening an ancient viticultural and gastronomic tradition which is deeply rooted in the wine growing region of Jerez.

The initiative, which will run from the 1st of November 2008 to the 31st of January 2009 and is developed in collaboration with the Consejo Regulador of the Denomination of Origin, includes visits to local bodegas to see how mosto is produced, and the opportunity to taste the wine in combination with a variety of typical dishes of the area.

The stated aim of the local council is to "promote mosto as a tourist resource in Sanlúcar" and support entrepreneurial initiatives developed by the wine industry to preserve and further promote a tradition whilst boosting wine tourism. According to municipal officials, this gastronomic and leisure initiative also intends to "promote our historic-cultural heritage, consolidate the route as a package which can be offered on a yearly basis, and promote the culture of wine in general".

The first cold days of the year herald the beginning of the celebrations which surround the grape picking and mosto production season in localities like Jerez, Trebujena, and Sanlúcar itself. The year's first mosto is the basis of a long, elaborate maturing process taking place inside American oak vats which results in the Sherry and Manzanilla we know today. Thus, with this tour, both connoisseurs and the non-initiated will have a unique opportunity to get a deeper insight into the basis of our wines, whilst discovering how the ageing processes slowly transform our young mosto into the different types of wines produced in the Region of Jerez.

The project serves not only as a powerful reminder the importance of the quality of the raw material for the production of good wine, but also as an excellent opportunity to promote Sherry and Manzanilla by boosting the potential of Sanlúcar de Barrameda the main centre for Manzanilla production and one of the most emblematic towns in the Region of Jerez as a wine tourism destination.

Sherry Wine Association Activities
Sexy Sherry Wine vs. Sour & Spicy Shanxi Food – Shanghai Sherry Wine Association 2008 Year-End Dinner

On the evening of December 11, Sherry Wine Association - Greater China (Shanghai) held a tasting dinner at the authentic Shaanxi restaurant "Tang Yun Qin Feng", bringing the Sherry wine lovers together at the end of 2008. Arranged by John H. Isacs, CEO of EnjoyGourmet Digital & Print Media, the bold yet creative food and wine pairing gave all the guests a big surprise. Among the gastronomic combinations, "Contrabandista Amontillado" vs. "Lamb Chops with Special Sauce" received the highest regard as the peppery and salty flavor of the lamb chop well matched the crisp and round taste of the Amontillado. "Lime-preserved Egg & Green Pepper" vs. "Solear Manzanilla" as well as "Mutton Tofu (Bean Curd) Roll" vs. "Tio Pepe Fino" also satisfied every demanding palate. The guests at the banquet toasted to the wonderful night, marking a happy ending of the gourmet tour in Shanghai this year.

Lees ~ the solid particles that form in Sherry and other wines after fermentation that fall to the bottom of the vat; the wine above the lees is clear; days after the fermentation has ceased and the wine lies on its lees the first classification of the Sherry is made by wine tasters.

Complex combinations of flavor and texture sensations, this tofu, sea urchin and crab meat dish begs for a balanced, versatile wine like the Hidalgo-La Gitana, Manzanilla that helps distinguish each of the flavors of the dishes and cleanses the mouth.

• Region：Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
• Variety：100% Palomino
• Alcohol：18%
• Comments：Perhaps the most complex of all Sherries，the Amontillado has an amber color, hazelnuts and hints of yeasty nose, a slightly sweet flavor with fresh and smooth taste, lasting and complex finish.
• Serving & Food Pairing：Seved chilled, about 10~12℃; lovely with hearty meat dishes, including slightly spicy dishing including Hunan Chicken with chili peppers.
• Aging Method：Over 6 years in American oak.
• Aging Potential：Best within 2~3 years of purchase.

• Region：Jerez-Xeres-Sherry DO, Spain
• Variety：Pedro Ximenez
• Alcohol：18%
• Comments：With seven centuries of wine-making this is the oldest Sherry producer with a range of impressive wines; this precious wine has the name "padlock" features a very deep Blackish-brown color, lovely nose of molasses with a touch of smokiness and very sweet preserved fruit and oak flavors with a very weighty almost oily texture and a very long clean finish.
• Serving & Food Pairing：Serve about 12℃; perfect as a digestif but also delightful with gooseliver, very strong cheeses and desserts like vanilla ice cream and Chinese style sweet moon cakes as well as Macao Egg Tarts.
• Aging Method：Solera system with at least 7 years in American oak.
• Aging Potential：Drink now or can be kept for 4~5 years.

• Region：Jerez-Xeres-Sherry DO, Spain
• Variety：Palomino
• Alcohol：19%
• Comments： Modern bodegas owned by the Garvey Group, this award-winning dry Amontillado has bright amber color, expressive nose of toasted almonds and other nuts with a touch of vanilla and lots of sophisticated, yet understated dark fruit and nut flavors and an impressively long complex finish.
• Serving & Food Pairing：Serve at 12 ℃; this sophisticated wine is beautiful with elegant seafood dishes including Maine Lobster and many types of crab, this is also a good companion to Hangzhou style meat pork dishes like Dun Pwo Stewed Pork.
• Aging Method：Solera system, minimum 15 years in American oak.
• Aging Potential：Ready now and can be kept for 3+ years.

• Region：Jerez-Xeres-Sherry DO, Spain
• Variety：Palomino, Pedro Ximenez
• Alcohol：17%
• Comments：Semi-dry wine from one of the best new bodegas that's owned by the Garvey Group, this wine has a dark amber-mahogany color, nose of sweet stewed fruits and nuts and concentrated flavors of nuts and candied fruit with a good clean finish.
• Serving & Food Pairing：Serve 10 ℃; quite nice as an aperitif on-the-rocks and also very good with moderately pungent cheeses and Asian cuisine, especially spicy dishes like Szechuan Ma-Po Spicy Beancurd and Hunan Style Diced Chicken.
• Aging Method： 6+ years in American oak.
• Aging Potential：Drink now or within next 3~4 years.