13 December 2010

Sherry

Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez, Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez.

The word "sherry" is an anglicization of Jerez. In earlier times, sherry was known as sack (from the Spanish saca, meaning "a removal from the solera"). "Sherry" is a protected designation of origin; therefore, all wine labeled as "sherry" must legally come from the Sherry Triangle... (However the name 'sherry' is used as a semi-generic in the United States where it must be labeled with a region of origin such as American sherry or California sherry.)

Jerez has been a center of viniculture since wine-making was introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. The practice was carried on by the Romans when they took control of Iberia around 200 BC. The Moors conquered the region in AD 711 and introduced distillation, which led to the development of brandy and fortified wine.

During the Moorish period, the town was called Sherish (a transliteration of the Arabic شريش), from which both Sherry and Jerez are derived. Wines similar in style to sherry have traditionally been made in the city of Shiraz in midsouthern Iran, but it is thought unlikely that the name derives from there.

Though the drinking of alcohol is prohibited in the Qur'an, wine production continued through five centuries of Islamic rule. In 966 the Caliph of Cordoba Al-Hakam II ordered the destruction of the vineyards, but the inhabitants of Jerez appealed on the grounds that the vineyards also produced raisins to feed the empire's soldiers, and the Caliph spared two-thirds of the vineyards.
And I found this while researching the word: the hit song "Sherry" (Four Seasons, 1962) was originally titled "Jackie Baby" in honor [?] of then-first-lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

1 comment:

  1. While traveling in Spain, we visited Jerez and a sherry producing winery. We had dinner in their bodega and were served wonderful pitchers of sherry mixed with fruits and 7-Up! We also saw real performances of flamenco--which is so much more intense and moving watching it in person with some sherry in your blood than watching it in a movie or on TV. By the way, it gets awfully hot there in the summer!

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