Sherry moreish

One of the consequences of the British affection for holidays in Spain is a fondness for tapas-style eats accompanied, unsurprisingly, by Sherry.

Regular readers will know by now that Sherry comes from a region in southern Spain around Jerez (say Herreth) and it is there that the wine is fortified by a process unique to the area and matured in barrels of blended, ageing wines, the system being known as a "solera".

Sherry and tapas form a perfect partnership and are part of a tradition which goes back many years.

The reason for this is that the word "tapa" means cover or lid and modern day tapas, the little dishes which are enjoyed by millions of tourists, are the result of an early practice of pouring a drink, and to prevent flies from getting in, placing a small saucer with a taster of food, on top of the glass.

A simple but effective sales technique and one that we could easily copy.

That's the style Sherry is an extremely versatile wine and comes in a range of styles to suit everyone: l Manzanilla ­ the lightest and driest of all Sherries, with a distinctive but delicate aroma and with hints of a salty tang.

l Fino ­ pale, dry and fragrant.

Fuller than Manzanilla, yet still light on the palate.

l Amontillado ­ softer, darker and less dry than Fino, but of Fino and Manzanilla parentage.

Smooth and full bodied on the palate, with a deep, fresh aroma.

l Oloroso ­ naturally dry but often sweetened, it is a full-bodied wine that is soft and mellow with a strong, deep aroma.

l Cream ­ in plain terms, an Oloroso that has been sweetened.

Dark mahogany in colour, round flavoured and velvety, it is full bodied on the palate but still with that distinctive Sherry tang.

l Pale Cream ­ of Fino parentage, a lightcoloured, smooth, sweet wine, with a crisp, Fino-like aroma.

Keeping your cool Sherry is a fortified, dry, white wine, so Fino and Manzanilla, like all white wines, should be served chilled.

By all means have a bottle on the back display, but keep serving stock in a fridge, an ice bucket or whatever.

They will taste and sell much better.

Although the tradition is to serve Amontillado and the richer varieties of Oloroso and Cream at room temperature, modern palates do seem to have a preference for cooler drinks, so perhaps it may be wise to provide a chilled option.

Do you need glasses?

The short answer is yes, you do!

One of the many appealing aspects of Sherry is the wonderful aroma which is completely lost when it is served in the wrong shaped glass or in a glass filled to the brim.

A copita is the only acceptable Sherry glass as far as the Spanish are concerned.

When filled to just two thirds full, the copita traps the bouquet within the confines of the narrow opening and the length of the stem enables the glass to be held so that the contents do not warm up in the hand.

In any case, copita glasses are very stylish.

If you do happen to have any of the old elgin variety, I suggest you get rid of them.

So there we have it, a nice selection of all the different styles of Sherry, all of them at the correct serving temperature and ready to be poured into copita glasses.

What we need now is a selection of tapas to complete the picture and boost sales.

Here are a couple of ideas: Aceitunas alinadas ­ marinated olives.

You will need 225g/8oz of green or black olives, half a teaspoon each of ground cumin, oregano, crushed rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, two bay leaves, four cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, and four tablespoons of sherry vinegar.

Choose a jar with a screw-top lid into which the olives will fit and pack them in.

Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over.

Top up with water, cover and shake well.

After three or four days at room temperature they will be ready to serve.

Pringadas extremenas ­ spicy fried bread and chorizo.

You will need two tablespoons olive oil, four rashers streaky bacon, without the rind, four slices chorizo sausage, four thick slices of white bread, crusts removed, and half a clove of garlic.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon and chorizo for 3 or 4 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and keep hot.

Rub the bread with the cut surface of the garlic.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the bread and fry until crisp and golden on both sides.

Drain thoroughly on absorbent kitchen paper.

Place a slice of bacon and chorizo on each slice of bread and serve.

db@adsum.demon.co.uk