Fino – Sherry is hip again

10 years ago, no one would have believed this blog title. Sherry fashionable?  Until a few years ago, the word Sherry was associated with fusty old grannies, bringing out a bottle of something dark, dusty and sweet from their drinks cupboard, pouring a tiny measure, and then putting the bottle back for another year.

Today, Sherry, especially Fino, is the darling of hip bartenders, Tapas bars and wine lovers at the cutting edge of wine fashion. Sales of Fino are rocketing, with double digit growth, whilst overall wine sales are showing far slower growth. So how has this pariah of the drinks world risen like a phoenix from the ubiquitous ashes? And why have we fallen in love with Sherry all over again?

The Sherry revival has, without any shadow of a doubt, been led by Fino, the pale-coloured, bone dry wine that is seen in every bar and every restaurant and on every table in Andalusia, and throughout Spain. Fino is fresh; Fino is crisp and refreshing; Fino is about as fine a food wine as can be found.

If you’re reading this and haven’t fallen in love with Fino yet, give it a go.  Great Western Wine have the fabulous Bella Luna Fino, by Bodegas Sanchez, which recently got a rave review in Decanter magazine, with a big ‘outstanding’ thumbs up. It’s from a Sherry producer that’s been around since 1781, but this is bang up to date, in a screw-capped half bottle, with its stylish, monochrome label. Pale, tangy, crisp, and mouth-wateringly dry, it has an almost salty, refreshing edge, with bold, lively nutty flavours – it certainly doesn’t compromise on flavours and is deliciously fresh.

By Angela Mount