What does the course look like?

Lesson 1 - From vino de pasto to fino viejo

We'll kick off with some history. What did Jerez look like about 100 years ago? What remains of it? Then we'll move on to a portion of flor. What is it, what does it do, why do we use it? In this lesson, you'll learn more about biologically aged sherry, which we'll taste step by step, starting with vino de pasto with a short flor aging and working towards manzanilla pasada and fino viejo. Just like in Jerez, we'll also provide some tasty treats on the table, because that's how you drink sherry.

Lesson 2 - Amontillado, oloroso, palo cortado

This class focuses on oxidatively aged sherry. We'll delve into the differences between amontillado, oloroso, and palo cortado, but also explore the variations within each style. Does an amontillado that started as fino taste different from one that started as manzanilla? And why does palo cortado remain so mysterious? Time to get to the bottom of it. We'll finish with a cream sherry, which, after all, also contains oloroso.

Lesson 3 - The New Sound of Sherry

We briefly touched on vino de pasto in lesson 1, but this category deserves more attention. A growing number of producers are producing unfortified wines, also known as blanco de albariza. These are similar to the base wines used in sherry production, the sobretablas that are used at the top of a fino solera. We could call it "sherry light," but that sounds disrespectful. It's not a new category; it has always existed but was forgotten after phylloxera and the establishment of the DO in 1935. Several producers also produce sparkling wine, so they will also be covered in this lesson.

Lesson 4 - Sherry pairing lunch

During this lunch, we're going all out with sherry and food pairings. During our many visits to the region, including the 2023 Copa Jerez and a presentation by flavor expert Francois Chartier on sherry and food pairing, I've tasted extensively and taken copious notes. We'll serve the best flavor combinations during this epic lunch.

The wine and food lunch is included in the course. You can also book this separately (click on the location).

Please note that we cannot accommodate all allergies or dietary restrictions. However, please inquire when booking.

Who is it for?

Everyone who loves sherry is welcome. We'll delve deeply into the subject matter, so it helps if you have some prior training (at least SDEN3).

When will the next sherry course start?

👉 Sherry course - starts on October 1, 2025 (Amsterdam)
👉 Sherry course - starts on October 2, 2025 (Rotterdam)