Learning about wine
It's December and I'm back in Jerez. All sorts of things are happening right now. New legislation is being drafted, bodegas are being taken over by other bodegas, and unfortified fino and manzanilla wines have finally been approved . This...
Equipo Navazos: the treasure hunters of Jerez
Equipo Navazos is a collaboration between two sherry enthusiasts: Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda. Jesús is a professor of criminology at the University of Granada and a passionate wine writer; he contributed to Peter Liem's "Sherry, Manzanilla & Montilla" and...
Flor, the magical layer of yeast
Anyone who's ever indulged in a copa de fino or a copa de manzanilla has probably heard of flor. The secret behind these sherries. But what exactly is it, and what does it do to sherry? Flor forms on the...
Palo cortado: mystery unraveled
Palo cortado is perhaps the most enigmatic style in the sherry world. So mysterious, in fact, that a documentary was made about it: El Misterio del Palo Cortado . How can a wine that starts out as a fino end up...
Golden combination: Manchego ice cream with cream sherry
It all started a few years ago, on a terrace in Seville. The sommelier on duty gently urged us to try the Manchego ice cream. He could tell from the look on our faces that we weren't exactly thrilled with...
Do you already know these three winemakers from Andalusia?
Before the Sherry Educator Course I made a quick pit stop in Sanlúcar de Barrameda . Sanlúcar is the closest to the Atlantic Ocean, so the sherries here undergo a different aging process. No fino here, but manzanilla, often slightly lighter...
Yes, I am a Certified Sherry Educator
Anyone who's been following Le Club des Vins for a while knows I'm crazy about sherry. It all started during WSET4, when we had to write a case study on "The Rise and Fall and Rise of Sherry." Suddenly, I...
People sometimes ask me where to begin with sherry. They're eager to learn how to drink it, so we need to facilitate that. The choice is enormous, and I can easily imagine it being overwhelming. Fortunately, there's now a new...
Valdespino is one of the oldest sherry bodegas in Jerez. Its official history dates back to 1875, but the Valdespino family may have been active in the wine industry as early as 1430. Documents have even been found showing that...
The sommelier's favorite sherry
From November 6th to 12th it's Sherry Wine Week and Le Club des Vins is of course happy to participate. We already published a blog about it Valdespino , we combined our favorite sweet sherry with desserts We asked sommeliers and other seasoned...
Copa Jerez 2023: the atmosphere, the sherry and the prizes
On October 3rd and 4th, Jerez de la Frontera was in a frenzy. The crème de la crème of international gastronomy gathered for the Copa Jerez. A sherry feast to die for. I will take you through the three-day program....
Don't miss these sherry bodegas
The sherry world is booming , with winemakers revisiting ancient traditions, rescuing nearly extinct grape varieties, and putting sherry back on the map. From unique, unfortified wines to centuries-old soleras, these bodegas demonstrate just how versatile and unique sherry can...