With tourism booming, mixology pushing boundaries, and producers unpicking persistent myths, the region is turning its gaze towards Gen Z.
A wine misunderstood
Few wines are weighed down by stereotypes quite like Sherry. For decades it has been perceived as sticky, sweet, and destined only for certain aunts at Christmas. But ask César Saldaña, president of the Consejo Regulador, and he will tell you this narrative was born out of marketing decisions in the 1970s and 80s that had little to do with the wine itself.
“Sherry was presented, perceived and consumed as a ‘drink’, rather than as a wine,” he explains. “This has nothing to do with the way that we understand and enjoy Sherry in homeland Andalusia in Spain, where the obvious place for a chilled glass of Fino is at the table. There is no question that Sherry is one of the most food-friendly wines in the world, and this is why gastronomy is one of the pillars of our communication nowadays.”
Both Federico Sánchez, brand ambassador for Lustau, and Ignacio López de Carrizosa, export director and global brand ambassador for Valdespino, echo the frustration at persistent myths. Sánchez points to the belief that Sherry is “exclusively an aperitif or dessert wine, overlooking all the different styles it comprises.” López de Carrizosa goes further: “Very often Sherry is not seen as a wine but as a liqueur. Also, it is very common among traditional consumers to assume that Sherry is a sweet wine, not being aware of the spectacular variety of styles.”
Myth-busting the category
The reality is that Sherry runs from some of the driest wines in the world (Fino and Manzanilla) to some of the sweetest (Pedro Ximénez). In between sit Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso, and a range of Medium and Cream styles. “Sherry is a complex wine category,” López de Carrizosa stresses, “with endless variations.”
Sánchez sees this breadth as both the challenge and the opportunity: “The future depends on bringing Sherry to the table. We would like regular wine consumers to become familiar with all the possibilities it offers and to choose it as an option in their everyday lives.”
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