The Whys of Wine on Friday - Sherry v. Port

Thanks to the mysterious “Anonymous” loyal reader that asked our current question for the Whys of Wine this Friday! She asked “What is the difference between sherry and port? And, can you recommend a sweet not too dry sherry for me."

There is one main similarity between sherry and port - both of them are called “fortified wines”. This means they have extra alcohol added to them. Besides this one thing, they are pretty different.

First of all, there is a geographical difference – Sherry is made in the south of Spain and Port is made along the Douro river in Portugal. Port is made with red grapes, and Sherry with white grapes. But there are also some pretty big contrasts in how both of them are produced. And these two different methods of production lead to the one big thing to remember when you're at the wine store - Sherry is usually dry, and Port is sweet. Why is that?

Just like with most wines, the grapes are picked and pressed so the raw grape juice comes out. At that point the juice is left to ferment. There is plenty of sugar in the juice, and that is what will be fermented into alcohol, with the help of yeasts. But in the Port process, the fermentation is cut short - all of the sugar is not fermented into alcohol. It is cut short by the addition of alcohol, which is when it gets "fortified". But there is still the residual sugar left over that never got fermented out, and that is why it tastes sweet.

When making sherry, the winemakers allow the full fermentation to happen before adding the extra alcohol to fortify it, so it is usually dry.

So if you are looking for a nice after dinner drink to keep you warm on these chilly nights, dear anonymous reader, you should probably look for a Port! Since Sherry is dry, most people drink it as an aperitif before dinner.

Port goes well with aged cheeses, chocolate, nuts and dried fruits, as well as desserts that incorporate any of those. This recipe for Black-Sugar-Glazed Medjool Dates With Pecorino and Walnuts from the New York Times would be perfect with a glass of Port! Look for a Ruby Ports, they are the most affordable and have a good amount of sweetness.

If you have your heart set on a not-too-dry sherry though, look for the sweet Pedro Ximenez sherries, made from the grape of the same name. They will be very sweet and syrupy. Stay away from sherries labeled "fino", which are the driest. "Amontillado" is also dry, but may have some sugars added, the label should let you know.

Here is an example of a Pedro Ximenez sherry in a glass:

One of my latest winter discoveries is Barolo Chinato. It will really warm you up during this snowy (in Florence, rainy) season. Try to find it at your local wine store. It is an infused wine made from a base of Barolo, one of Italy's finest wines from the Piedmont region. Traditionally they added quinine to the Barolo, called "china" in Italian, hence the name. It was used for medicinal purposes and as a digestive.

Now it is infused with other spices such as cinnamon as well, and does not necessarily contain quinine. Every producer has their own recipe of herbs, spices and sugar. The ones I have tasted smell like sweet spices (cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) along with dark red fruit from the nebbiolo, almost syrupy. Here is an example: