Halliday Destination

Appreciating wine is not about ticking off lists of famous or expensive wines just to say you've tried them. In the same way, going on holiday shouldn't be about ticking off the places you've been just to say you've been there. Both are as much about the journey as they are about the destination...

I was at The World Gourmet Summit in Sentosa last week for a tutored Shiraz tasting with James Halliday and guests Lisa Perotti-Brown MW and Dr N K Yong. My destination wine was going to be Penfolds Grange (and boy, was it good). But along the way I was treated to some wine discoveries that made the journey just as sweet.

Shiraz has become an icon of modern winemaking, grown in all 62 of Australia's wine making regions. Although relatively low-yielding, it is an adaptable grape that survives in many different vine growing environments.

Hunter Valley, or “the umbilical cord of Sydney”, as  Halliday likes to call it, is at the hot end of the scale for a fine wine producing area. For a long time the shiraz from this area was “undiscovered and undervalued”, he says , but the “recent awakening of Tyrrell's to the age of their vines” has lead fellow winemakers to follow suit, and collectively “take the game by the throat”. The 2007 Tyrrell's Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz  is a great example of old vine Shiraz, made from vines with an average age of 80 years.

Hunter Valley, like the other winemaking areas represented today, has never been affected by the  phylloxera louse. It is an important point to note as these vines are ungrafted, and grown on their own roots. This is extremely rare in the world of winemaking; only a few countires and viticultural areas can lay claim to this. All others have vines that are grafted on to American root stock to protect them from the louse. Ungrafted vines have a longer lifespan and can lead to deep concentrated flavours in the grapes due to naturally lowering yields.

It maybe surprising, but this, and many of the other top wines here, are sealed with a screw cap. Halliday is a proponent of screw cap technology and would choose screw cap over cork for all wines, whether they are meant for drinking young, or for ageing.  It is a controversial subject, he says; an ongoing 'topic of discussion' within the wine industry. By way of example he refers to  two of the Penfolds wines tasting today.


Penfolds Grange uses cork whereas Penfolds RWT has a screw cap: is this just because of consumer image and the “perception of quality” a cork brings to a wine? Halliday remarks that he would be willing to pay more for a Grange with a screw cap closure!
However, the 2005 Henschke Hill of Grace is an example of a super-premium wine that uses screw cap as a closure: a rare sight indeed at it's price point. Halliday hopes this is the way forward for all wines, and indeed it doesn't seem to have affected  it's popularity.

The Hill of Grace comes from Eden Valley, just next to Barossa. It is second in line to the Shiraz throne, behind 2004 Penfolds Grange. Comparisons cannot really be made between the two as they are made in two very distinct styles.

Hill of Grace was one of the first single vineyard sites to be made famous in Australia. Halliday states that it's a single vineyard wine using “a whole mosaic of different blocks”. Halliday has tasted the grapes, juice and fermented grape juice of the different blocks within Hill of Grace and can report that the characters are “significantly different”.The individual blocks are selected for the wine depending on the character of the vintage.

Penfolds Grange is a much more intense style of wine, but according to Halliday, it “shows class through it's back palate and finish”.It is not a single vineyard wine, but a multi-region wine. However the complex blending involved is not dissimilar to the assembly of Hill of Grace's vineyard blocks of grapes.

They use a method that is unique to Penfolds to maximise fruit flavour and give longevity to the wine. They add tannins derived from powdered grape tannin for balance and structure and so exercise complete control of the ageing potential. Sounds strange, but then again, Penfolds are always at the forefront of the field when it comes to experimentation.
Max Shubert, the innovator behind Grange, came up with the idea of pressing the grapes and taking them to barrel while they were still actively fermenting at 2-3 baume. This too was unique to Grange for a while; it is now widely adopted.

The wine that has the room buzzing, however, is 2006 Yarra Yering Dry Red No.2. The company was recently acquired by Singapore's own Ed Peters, but it is the quality and style that is the talk of the table. Maintaining consistently low yields on unirrigated soils has lead to a wine that is, in Halliday's words, “most complex” and has a “unique style”. Lisa adds that she likes the “earthy” character and flavours of “dried Mediterranean herbs”. The only downside for Halliday is the cork stopper!

There is also a stalky character to the wine that Halliday say is a result of  “whole bunch pressing” of grapes. This method is one of the on-going trends that he has identified in the production of  quality Shiraz. It is a method used by Syrah producers in the Rhone.

The Barossa Valley 2008 Kaesler, Alte Reben Shiraz is another acquisition  of Singapore-based Ed Peters, this time in conjunction with flying wine makers Reid & Bindy Bosward. The “whole bunch pressing” is evident here too, as Halliday points out it's crucial role in this wine's tannin structure. There are less than 1000 bottles of this made each vintage so it is a particularly rare wine. The fruit comes from vines planted in 1899 with the resulting wine benefiting from subtle use of French oak, and an absence of fining and filtration to give the wine it's full expression.

This is just a snapshot of the wonderful wines sampled on the journey to Grange. It is a perfect destination, just as impressive as I have imagined all these years, but the journey itself has been First Class.


Thanks to Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd and all at The World Gourmet Summit.
http://www.worldgourmetsummit.com/wgs2011/english/

Taking the Shish

Let's begin at the beginning: I like to think that I know a lot about kebabs, right? I was there during the Portsmouth & Southsea Kebab Wars in the late 80's when the phrase "buy 1 get 1 free" was invented over stirrings of chilli sauce. I've eaten TWO kebabs in one night - hey, it was a long walk home! I've eaten shawarma in Israel, in between mixing cement and cutting floor tiles, and tucked into souvlaki in Greece next to the Acropolis. I haven't been to Turkey or the Lebanon but i've been there in spirit in the restaurants of Dalston, Green Lanes and Newington Green in London. Yep, I've tried 'em all.

"Small Doner, please" 

What I haven't tasted before is a Singapore kebab, so it is with great merriment that I skip towards Arab Street with my trusted companion, El Jacko (aka Caroline) to sample the delights of this culinary enclave.

Tonight we are to frequent TWO establishments. No, not to recreate a bygone era of drunken student debauchery: It is because the first place is so bad that we have to walk out, Gordon Ramsay style.

On arrival at Alaturka Restaurant, Bussorah Street, we are told that they are shutting early tonight because they have their anniversary party. How sweet, we say, no problem. How inconvenient, I think to myself.

"Are you celebrating with your own home-cooked food?" i joke.
"No, we are going elsewhere", comes the reply.

Little do I know that I'll want to do the same thing in approximately 25 minutes time.

We are forced to order tea from the drinks menu as there is not a beer in sight, so opt for the mint tea. Curiously,  the opportunity to give us our first glimpse of authenticity is thwarted by the arrival of a pot of tea that would have looked at home in my Nan's kitchen in the 50s. Where is the wonderful, ornate teapot, fashioned out of metal and delivered on an intricately crafted tray?

I look up and notice that the "authentic tiles" on the wall are in fact laminate...

The baba ganoush turns up with all the florish of a navvy's breakfast, and the sad middle eastern salad is devoid of any discernible flavour. In fact, it seems remarkable that flavour can actually be taken away from a dish, but somehow they manage it.

In comparison with the second course, the starter is a triumph. I order the lamb chops as they are recommended by our guide book. Served on a copper platter, it says.

They turn up on a very ordinary looking plate, covered in what can only be described as cold Bisto. There are some cold vegetables too: Peppers? No. Eggpant? No. Boiled broccoli and cauliflower? Of course!

All meat, yes: but not kebabs

The only hot thing at the table is the steam coming out of my ears, but I wait patiently for Caroline's food to turn up. Five minutes later and still nothing. It's not that my food is getting cold - that would be impossible - If i left it long enough in Singapore's heat it might just be warm enough to eat.

So, having had quite enough, I demand to see the manager to complain that my food seems to have been mixed up with that of a bad school canteen. I find myself pointing at vegetables and gravy and saying in high pitched Ramsay-stylee, "What's that doing on this plate??"

So we walk out. I do pay the man £10 for his trouble, which is far more that he deserves.It's a kind of anniversary present of sorts.

On to the next venue we go, eagerly awaiting our next disappointment. And are we disappointed? No, it is just as bad as the last!

Sufi is the name of the restaurant, but it is largely irrelevant seeing as the standard of food here is indicative of the poor standards of the whole area.

Again we order mint tea, but this time it arrives in a more authentic teapot. Nice touch. Until we look inside. Even the first place used FRESH mint. This is a mint teabag. Oh dear.

While waiting for the food to arrive, a cockroach scurries from the premises next door, straight towards us. Even cockroaches are bemused by the standards here. One swift crunch of the flip flop and it's bye-bye time Mr Roach. It's lifeless body is the most edible thing I've seen so far this evening, certainly the freshest.

As rigor mortis sets in, our mixed meat platter turns up. Hooray! It's in a copper bowl! This is gonna be great!

As the bowl approaches, my heart sinks as I see some grilled meats lying in a Bisto gravy with brocolli and cauliflower on the side. Like the cockroach, I feel crushed, but summon the strength to tuck into what looks like sunday lunch served with rice.

In a city that loves to eat, we have discovered the one place that is culinarily deserted. As I scan the dessert menu merely out of politeness, I notice the typo error "desert". We take the hint and hail a taxi home.

Sentosa Island Getaway

Dangling high in the air, attached to a single metal cable is obviously not Caroline's idea of a relaxing start to the weekend, as she has a distinct green tinge around the gills. However, we are heading to Sentosa island via cable car to Resort World's Universal Studios and I'm almost certain this is going to seem tame in comparison.

It's about $70 each to get in so it's my turn to go slightly green and queasy as panic sets in at getting some cash out. In reality this is actually not too bad - approx £35 each. Alton Towers in the UK is about the same price. Mind you at Chessington you can take a family of 5 for the same price!

Once in there, we are in a land of make believe, not dissimilar from Singapore itself, where nothing quite seems real. We walk through downtown Hollywood then into New York where we witness Lights! Camera! Action! a live special effects show of a hurricane hitting New York's sky line. Not a bad start.

We chicken out of going on some mental rollercoaster after they announce that it the ride is temporarily suspended. If only you could do the same when commuting on the Tube in London....

So, Caroline thought the Cable Car was scary, huh? Next we get on The Mummy ride. I don't realise I'm screaming but I must be - Caroline is laughing at me when we get off - I thought that was her high pitched screeching. There is a lot of lurching about and falling down huge bottomless pits - what makes it really scary is that most of it happens in pitch blackness, like a real nightmare...

We go to see Shrek in 4D and it is really good - 3D specs on, you get the 4th dimension with a splash of water here and there, moving seats and gusts of air. Bit like watching a film with a bunch of hoodies in Hammersmith Broadway, really, but without people talking loudly on mobile phones, innit.

Despite this, we're not quite prepared for spiders falling around us in 3D with a terrifying brushing against our legs as they fall to the floor! Not sure what all the kids made of it but there was an awful lot of screaming - and not just from me this time. If only it was Hammersmith Broadway: da yoof would be outta there like a shot!

The rest: Waterworld (entertaining enough), Lost World (gave up queuing) and burger in a diner (pretty good) All done, we head to Sentosa beach!

The beach is great, lined with bars all the way along - expat heaven! We dive into one (Coastes), hiding from the rain that's just started and get stuck into a jug of Carlsberg. We move on to the bar next door (Bikini Bar); I realise pretty quickly why we couldn't get a seat there straight away. Bikini ogling seems to be what's attracting the largely male clientele. And why not? Except I'm facing the other way and sitting with the Mrs...

We while away a couple of hours with the dulcet tones of drunk Australians and a fine selection of tunes from the house DJ as a soundtrack. Bliss

Enomatic: A Bond Moment

Some people have Blonde Moments, well, I've just had a Bond Moment!

The good people of Enomatic wine serving systems have just come up with a revolutionary new idea; let's make everyone feel like they're on the set of a Bond movie in a Monte Carlo casino. How do they do that, you might ask. Well, they invent Flute, a system that dispenses glasses of Champagne from a machine that could conceivably come from Q's gadget lab!

The sleek, dark exterior with flashes of chrome purrs to life like an Aston Martin. Backlit bottles of Bollinger stand proud behind the shiny glass like engine pistons. Your Champagne is dispensed with ease as the sensor acknowledges your waiting flute. Next to this is another well crafted beauty called North Pole that has you imagining a daring mission across icy seas while you enjoy a Martini made with chilled Grey Goose....

But, hey, back to reality!

The system is stylish and gorgeous to look at but on a practical level (Bond was practical too!) it allows us all to have these Bond moments without the unecessary risks. You can try high end wines and Champagnes before you buy, which liberates the world of wine. Now you can sample that vintage Krug or Dom Perignon without opening a Swiss bank account or indeed having a Licence to Kill...

For more details see http://www.enomatic.co.nz/home/

A Man Walks into a Bar...

A man walks into a bar to buy a glass of wine..... sounds like the start of a joke, and of course it normally is. The wine selection by the glass in most bars and pubs is gradually improving, but how do you know that the wine hasn't been hanging around on the counter-top for days, if not weeks, rendering it more suitable as part of a salad dressing?

This is where a new phenomenon in wine dispensing, Enomatic, makes a very welcome entrance to the world of wine bars. Enomatic machines enable customers to experience wine at the correct temperature and in the right condition, every time.

I'm at Vintry in Clarke Quay, a smart yet relaxed bar with 4 of these Enomatic machines, delivering 32 wines by the glass as well as many others by the bottle. Fazil is Operations Manager, but he also happens to be a very experienced Sommelier, so you are in safe hands here.

First, you purchase a payment card with your chosen amount of credit, grab a glass and choose whether you want a tasting measure (25ml) a small glass (75ml) or a large glass (150ml). It takes the hassle out of buying wine to match food or to suit the personal tastes of a larger group. There are recommendations and scores from Wine Spectator, Parker et al to help you make your choice. What could be easier?

The Local Nose sets Fazil the challenge of coming up with a list of wines that can be sampled for a straight $50 that will impress even the fiercest wine critic. As Fazil really knows his wines and his ever-changing selection, it doesn't take him long to come up with the goods.

Fazil's selection showcases the breadth of wine on offer at Vintry and it's like a journey to the 4 corners of the wine world!

The Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling 2007 ($4) is a good place to start with it's stone-fruit and citrus flavours with a pleasant whiff of petrol. A refeshing aperitif to begin our adventure.

An Italian Michele Chiarlo Gavi Le Marne 2009 ($3) is next, with classic honeyed aromas and apricot and nettle on the palate. A smooth, balanced wine.

Trimbach Gewürztraminer 2007 ($2.5) is a classic, fragrant, Old World wine that's great with Asian food  flavours. Roses and lychee on the nose with vegetal, sweet pea and basil flavours make this deliciously different and utterly compelling.

In direct contrast to the Aussie Riesling, I try Dr Loosen's Wehlener Sohnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2009 ($3) and it is full of lime and peaches, with a lovely sweetness of orange and apricot on the palate. A great opportunity to sample “Kabinett”-style wine at a give-away price!

Robert Mondavi Reserve Chardonnay 2005 ($5.5) is buttery and nutty but made in restrained Old World Burgundy style. There is good acidity to balance that richness of the caramelised pear flavour.

I feel like I've been around the world already and we're only halfway through his list....

On to the reds next, I start with St Clair Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009 ($2.5) from New Zealand. It has a savoury, smoky bacon nose with red fruits on the palate, and hints of spiced red apple to finish. A super start for the reds!

I'm blown away by the Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru 2006 ($8.5), a top Pinot Noir from Burgundy, that follows. There's warm oak on the nose with more of that spiced red apple; there are warm vanilla hints and cinnamon and almond. Really good.

On to Italy and we visit Gaja Sito Moresco 2008 ($5.5) with it's fresh, chalky, cherry nose and black cherry, treacle, cassis and minty notes on the palate. There is great acidity here, along with integrated oak. Gaja is iconic – you can't fail but be impressed.

Petrolo Torrione 2006, Italy ($4.5) a Sangiovese from Tuscany, supplies menthol cherry and herb aromas with savoury oak and cherry richness on the palate. One to sit back and relax with, definitely.

Next stop is California and a Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Cabernet 2006 ($3.5). It has a pure cassis nose with drops of sandlewood oak and capsicum. It is smoky and meaty with fine tannin structure. This would keep and develop over the next few years, but it won't get the chance: it's too good right now!

I'm even getting the opportunity to sample a classed growth Bordeaux in the shape of  Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac 2006 ($8.5) – who would have thought that the money would go so far?! Lovely raisin and tobacco on the nose and palate with red apple spice and warm oak. It is bright and alive, a rare glimpse at the youthful beginnings of a classic Claret.

It all comes to $51 - $1 over, but I think it might have been worth it!

The Enomatic technology means that each wine is in great condition, as you'd expect – this is a machine, after all. However, it's the human touch that makes all the difference and that's what makes Vintry special. You can get involved in choosing your own wine and pouring your own glass and learning about wine. But, best of all, you too can set Fazil the $50 challenge – see what he comes up with!

Some more top choices from Fazil:

Whites:
Mt. Difficulty 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($3)
Franz Haas Manna  (Riesling, Chardonnay, Traminer Aromatico, Sauvignon Blanc) 2008 ($4)
Beringer White Zinfandel 2008 ($2)



Reds:

Jean Luc Colombo St Joseph Les Lauves 2007 ($4.5)
Richard Hamilton Centurion Shiraz 2006 ($5.5)
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2007 ($3)
Craggy Range Sophia  2005 ($5)
Yacochuya Malbec 2003 ($8)
Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino, Madonna delle Grazia 2005 ($7)
Robert Mondavi Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($5.5)

Sweet:
Disznóko  5 puttonyos 2000 ($5.5)

Sherry – A Criminal Investigation!

A Sherry tasting with Dr Jesús Barquí, Equipo Navazos.
Taberna Wine Bar, 15th Feb 2011

It is a crime that Sherry wines have been ignored for so long, so who better to host a Sherry masterclass than Dr Jesús Barquí, professor of criminology at the University of Granada.

Dr Barqui's passion for sherry has developed so much over the years that he has gone from part-time wine writer to expert in his field. Not surprising, perhaps, for a man that prides himself on gathering and imparting knowledge in his day job, but Jesús has gone about this a slightly different way. He and some like-minded Sherry fans decided to buy (and bottle) a barrel of 20 year old Amontillado!

This was in 2005, and since then the wild purchase has developed from a one off act for the pleasure of friends, to a project that has evolved into more commercial scale bottlings. Saying that, the scale is still tiny and the wines very rare (2,000 – 5,000 bottles per release) so the opportunity of trying some of these Sherries with the man himself could not be missed!

Jesús calls these wines his “children”, such is his pride in their development. He corrects himself later, using the description “adopted-children”, for these are wines created by the best Sherry bodegas – he just adopts them and nurtures them like his own. Along with his friend and business partner, Eduardo Ojeda, technical director of Grupo Estevez, he has chosen not only the best Soleras (groups of barrels) that Sherry has to offer, but also the best barrels with in those Soleras!

We start with some bubbly – not Champagne of course, maybe some Cava? No! This is a brand new experience! These are  two sparkling wines made by Equipo Navazos in a joint venture with Colet Vins:
The wines are of the Penedés appellation (near Barcelona) as they are made with wines from the north. However the magic is in the Sherry wines that are added at dosage stage and this why the wine stands out. Dosage is the addition of wine and/or sugar in the traditional method of making Champagne and sparkling wine. Here, they add Sherry wine but no sugar. - This is Brut Zero – a slimmer's drink!

COLET-NAVAZOS 2007 Extra Brut. Made from mainly the Xarel.lo grape in an oxidative style (letting air gently change the wine's chemistry) It was cellared for 29 months before it was disgorged in October 2010. The nose is raisin, honeysuckle, oats and nuts with a dry palate and a smooth creamy finish. Touches of caramel come from the dosage.

COLET-NAVAZOS Reserva 2006 Extra Brut. Made from mainly Chardonnay in a  Flor-yeasts style (letting the wine mature under a protective layer of naturally occuring yeast). It was cellared for 41 months before it was disgorged in October 2010. On the nose it is more fragrant, more reminiscent of Champagne, with apricot, lime, stone fruits and oats. There are apricots on the palate with yeasty, creamy flavours to counter the crisp acidity.

Jesús introduces us to another rare experience; sampling a non-fortified cask-fermented wine made with the Sherry grape Palamino Fino. Made in collaboration with Niepoort of Portugal, the NAVAZOS − NIEPOORT 2009 is full of complexity from it's ageing under Flor yeast. The style harks back to traditional wine-making in the Sherry area and is made to highlight the terroir of the chalky soils.

The aromas are of rum and raisin chocolate, un-ripe banana and figs. It is nutty like walnut with orange zest, fig and bay on the palate. The finish has a mild numbing effect on the tongue!

The next two wines are Fino-style Sherrys: here the wines develop under a layer of the Flor yeast. They both use grapes from the Macharnudo Alto vineyards and are unfiltered to show terroir character (or, their “upbringing”, to use Jesús' metaphor). We get to compare two different extractions; this is the date when the Sherry is taken from the barrel.

The LA BOTA DE FINO  (nº 15) was extracted in June 2008. It has a nose of marmalade and caramelised banana but also savoury. Notes of hay, oats, mineral and sesame are on the palate.
However, the LA BOTA DE FINO  (nº 18) ,extracted in December 2009, shows more raisiny, smoky characters and is richer, but with a cleansing minerality.
The differences are very interesting!

We get to sample LA BOTA DE FINO (AMONTILLADO) nº 24  next. This is a Fino, but is on it's way to becoming an Amontillado. Amontillado is a Sherry that develops from a Fino as the Flor breaks down gradually and the wine has more contact with the air. It is made in Montilla, which holds the best Pedro Ximénez (a sweet grape) vineyards and their chalky soils. Estimated at over 20 years old, this is still a Fino but the fragile flor has thinned during the wine's ageing which darkens and hightens the richer flavours.
The wine is nutty, salty and buttery with a slightly vegetal nature but has Christmas Cake aromas and a doughy yeastiness.

As a comparison there is LA BOTA DE AMONTILLADO (nº 23) which is a straight Amontillado. This is a very old wine, although Jesús doesn't say exactly how old. The ageing brings out more toffee notes and burnt orange, like a Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange (if you've had one!) There are also nuts, raisins, hay and a smokiness.

Jesús gives us two more wines to compare, made in the same way as Fino, but hailing from Sanlúcar and called Manzanilla. These wines are renowned for their freshness, enabled by the delicate natural Flor that is created by a moist climate influenced by the proximity to sea breezes. Some say you can taste the sea in it's salty minerality.

LA BOTA DE MANZANILLA (nº 16) extracted Jan 2009. This is aged Manzanilla so there is raisin on the nose and fullness on the body. There is definitely a briney quality to the wine and a smoothness. There are also faint hints of Banoffee Pie on the nose giving this a very different quality than your average Manzanilla style wine that is drunk young.

LA BOTA DE MANZANILLA (nº 22) extracted May 2010. There are hazelnuts, apricots and toasted almonds on the nose and palate. There is a slight herbal quality on the finish, reminiscent of the tongue-numbing sparkling wine earlier but this time like spearmint.

Palo Cortado is a natural style of Sherry, somewhere between a Fino / Amontillado and a Oloroso;  the protective flor dies and the wine begins to age oxidatively giving it elegance, complexity and body. Oloroso is a deeper coloured, richer Sherry that is produced without the influence of Flor. It is fortified to around 18% as opposed to Fino fortification of 15.5%.

LA BOTA DE PALO CORTADO (nº 21) Raisin and almond on the nose but with some oxidative toasty notes. There are toasted marshmallow and sweet pastry flavours countering the dry style.

LA BOTA DE OLOROSO VIEJÍSIMO  (nº 14)  An impeccable wine with real age and concentration. This oloroso is nutty, smoky and meaty and there are hints of paprika.

We are treated to some chunky slabs of Iberico Ham with melting strips of fat that go perfectly with the wine! The meat brings out a sweetness in the wine and it dawns on me that at some stage I want to do this whole tasting again... with food! The matches could be heavenly as these are amazing food-wines.

Lastly we have LA BOTA DE PEDRO XIMÉNEZ (nº 25) from Montilla-Moriles – a dessert in a glass! Probably well over 30 years old, and from barrels separated from the usual routine of Solera topping up, it is as pure an expression of the sun-dried grapes and terroir as possible.

There is a popcorn nose, with raisin and prune. The palate is dense with prune, fig and treacle but has an acidity that also refreshes. Sometimes Pedro Ximenez can be cloying in it's richness but not so here!
As you can see, there are many styles of Sherry; serious wine makers and connoisseurs are seeking new and interesting expressions of Sherry and changing the way we think about this classic wine.

So, do some detective work and find some criminally-good Sherries! These work well on their own, as an aperitif and match all kinds of seafood and spicy meats. And at these prices, you'll feel like someone's been robbed, and for once it isn't you!

Quick Recipe Update

If you follow the recipe below more or less, it becomes a really good chicken satay marinade after a few days in the fridge ;)