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Sherry

Translation
Sherry
/sher"ee/, n.
a female given name, form of Charlotte.

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Fortified wine of Spanish origin.

It takes its name from the province of Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. Essential to its taste is the action of flor, a mildewlike growth encouraged by a slight exposure to air after fermentation. Also unique is the solera system of blending wines of many vintage years. Sherry is fortified after fermentation with high-proof brandy to 16–18% alcohol. It is served primarily as an aperitif, though sweeter, heavier sherries are used as dessert wines.

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      fortified wine of Spanish origin that typically has a distinctive nutty flavour. It takes its name from the province of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain, sherry being an Anglicization of Jerez. The substance is also produced elsewhere—notably in Cyprus, South Africa, Australia, and the United States, but Spanish producers have attempted to reserve the name sherry exclusively for the fortified wines of Spain.

      Authentic sherry comes from the sherry region, which is officially demarcated and indicated on a bottle's label by the words “Jerez DO” (Denominacion de Origen). Labels from the sherry region also contain the words Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. This region is centred on the southwestern coast, which encompasses the towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, as well as Jerez de la Frontera. A distinguished and venerable wine, sherry is a product of the region's limestone-rich, chalky soil (albariza), its native grapes—particularly Palomino and Pedro Ximénez—and a unique vinification process. Essential is the action of flor, mildewlike yeasts encouraged by a slight exposure to air after fermentation, which imparts the characteristic nutty flavour.

      The process of blending wines involves what is known as the solera system, which mixes wines of several vintages. This method matures the younger wines, freshens the older wines, and helps maintain the consistency, or historical continuity, of a type. A solera consists of from three to eight tiers of barrels in which sherries of various ages are held, the oldest on the bottom. As wine is drawn off the lowest level for blending, it is replaced by wine from the next oldest vintage, directly above; the second tier in turn is refilled with younger wines from the third tier, and so on. The date on a sherry bottle or label refers to the year the solera for that sherry was begun. All sherry is fortified after fermentation with high-proof brandy, to about 16–18 percent alcohol, depending upon type.

      The main styles of sherries, listed from driest and palest to sweetest and darkest are fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, cream, and Pedro Ximénez. The paler, usually drier, sherries are made chiefly from Palomino grapes, and the sweeter, richer sherries from Pedro Ximénez and sometimes muscat grapes.

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Universalium. 2010.

  
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  • sherry — * * * sherry [ ʃeri ] n. m. • 1819; mot angl., transcription de Jerez ♦ Anglic. Xérès. « sherrys pâles et secs pour l apéritif » (Morand). ⊗ HOM. Chéri, cherry. * * * ● sherry, sherrys ou sherries nom masculin (anglais sherry) Nom donné par les… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sherry — Sher ry, n. [So called from Xeres, a Spanish town near Cadiz, x in Spanish having been formerly pronounced like sh in English.] A Spanish light colored dry wine, made in Andalusia. As prepared for commerce it is colored a straw color or a deep… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sherry — 1> херес Ex: sherry party предобеденный прием с подачей хереса и других вин …   Новый большой англо-русский словарь

  • Sherry — (engl., spr. scherri, verstümmelt aus Jerez), starker span. Wein aus der Umgegend von Jerez de la Frontera und zwischen dem Unterlauf des Guadalquivir und Guadalete. Sorten: Dry S., Montilla oder Amontillado, Manzanilla, Pajarete, Tinto di Rota… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sherry — f English: probably in origin a respelled form of Chérie (see CHERRY (SEE Cherry)). It is now more closely associated with the fortified wine, earlier sherry wine, so named from the port of Jérez in southern Spain. Variant: Sherrie …   First names dictionary

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  • sherry — m ingl белый херес …   Большой итальяно-русский и русско-итальянский словарь

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  • Sherry — Sherry, in England u. Frankreich der Xereswein …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Sherry — (spr. schérri), s. Jerezwein …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sherry — This article is about the type of wine. For other uses, see Sherry (disambiguation). A glass of amontillado sherry with olives Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez (Jerez de la Frontera), Spain.… …   Wikipedia