Rich, Festive Sherry from Spain Offers Flavorful Alternative to Holiday Bubbly

    SANTA ROSA, CA, November 07, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A holiday favorite elsewhere in the world, authentic Sherry from the Andalusia region of southern Spain is gaining traction across the United States as the high-quality, high-value alternative to sparkling wine this holiday season.

Owing to a milder summer with no major heat waves, the Palomino grape from which some 90% of Sherry is produced took longer to ripen in 2014, resulting in lower yields and even higher quality than usual. The same is true of the Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel varieties, which account for the remaining 10%.

"This year, the grapes ripened slowly, taking their time, which meant the harvest was unrushed and creative: unrushed for our Palomino grapes and creative for developing the full potential of our raisined Pedro Ximenez grape," said Sara Toril, enologist at AECOVI, the cooperative behind the Alexandro brand of sherries that produces all eight of the traditional Sherry varieties.

Long a holiday mainstay in Europe, the eight Sherries offered under the Alexandro label are produced using a combination of ancient methods dating back 3,000 years, and the latest technology developed by AECOVI-Jerez, the company formed in 2008 by the four largest grape-growing cooperatives in Andalusia. These unusually versatile wines are readily drinkable on their as a refreshing aperitif or as an accompaniment to all manner of foods. Because of the grapes' higher sugar content, the finished wine is higher in alcohol than typical sparkling and still wines, ranging from 15% to 20.5%, making them more festive, as well.

The most popular and widely available Alexandro Sherries include:

Manzanilla: bright, straw-yellow color; almond and olive aroma; light and dry in the mouth, ideal with tapas, seafood, white fish, soup, or ham. Serve chilled.

Palo Cortado: transparent amber color; hazelnut aroma; long finish with complex structure; pairs well with a wide variety of foods despite its 20.5% alcohol.

Amontillado: transparent amber color, pungent hazelnut bouquet, oak and almond palate, marries well with soup, mushrooms, white meat, fatty fish, and mature cheese.

Oloroso: brilliant, clear amber color; pronounced walnut nose; intense permanence on the palate best in short sips to appreciates its ample ageing; pairs well with mature cheeses, red meat and game.

Pedro Ximenez: dark mahogany color, natural sweet wine; highly aromatic with notes of dried fruits sweet and silky on the palate, excellent companion to all types of blue cheese and confectionery.

Moscatel Dulce: natural sweet wine from very ripe muscatel grapes; pale golden color, highly aromatic with floral notes; perfect match for blue cheese and desserts.

Other Alexandro Sherries include Fino with its dry and delicate flavor; Cream, with its brilliant amber color and balance of bitter tones; and the dark Moscatel de Pasas dessert wine.

While Spanish Sherry still represents only a small portion of total wine consumption in the United States, it's popularity is growing rapidly, with year-over-year sales up by 80%, according to Andre Tamers of De Maison Selections, an importer based in Chapel Hill, NC. Import figures compiled by The Wine Spectator show that "in 2006, Americans brought over 94,000 liters of amontillado; in 2011 the number had ramped up to 146,000," with U.S. consumers now drinking "more amontillado than the Spanish themselves do."

Alexandro Sherry is available in fine wine stores and other wine retailers across the United States. For information about Alexandro, visit http://www.aecovi-jerez.com.

About Aecovi-Jerez
AECOVI-Jerez is a group of cooperatives, formed in 1989 to bring together the four leading producers of the Marco de Jerez, or the Sherry Triangle. The company is committed to respecting the vineyards and the men and women who work them, and to environmental sustainability in its practices and products. In 2008, AECOVI-Jerez introduced its own brand of wines, vinegars and dressings. The company's products carry the "Integrated Fruit Production" certification; the ISO 9001 certification; the 'Certified Quality' distinction granted by the Andalusian Government; and the Denomination of Origin of its wines and vinegars: Jerez-Xeres-Sherry, Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda and Vinegar of Jerez. White and red varieties belong to the quality denomination Tierra de Cadiz (Land of Cadiz).

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