Jerez has been producing wines for over three thousand years. Curiously, it was the Moslem Moors who introduced the process of distilling, after they conquered the region in 711 AD. This led to the creation of brandy, which was blended with the local wine to create the fortified wines that are now world-famous.



The Moors also created the name 'Sherry' as they called the town Sherish, from which both Sherry and Jerez are derived. Despite the Moslem prohibition on drinking alcohol, wine production continued through over five centuries of Islamic rule. One Caliph did order the destruction of the vineyards, but when it was pointed out that the vines also produced raisins to feed his soldiers, most of the vineyards were saved.

Today, there's a whole range of Sherry styles. Many in Britain, however, have only been exposed to the likes of Harvey's Bristol Cream, often from a bottle lovingly saved from year to year for the occasional Christmas tipple by an elderly Aunt. Thankfully, this isn't the way Sherry is drunk in Seville!

The most popular local styles are Fino and Manzanilla. Fino, produced around Jerez, is the driest and palest of traditional Sherries, with Tip Pepe both the leading brand and one of the best. Manzanilla is a variety of fino which comes from around the port of Sanl?car de Barrameda. Here, the vineyards are near to the sea which is said to give Manzanilla its distinctive salty tang.

Both these pale sherries are drunk chilled in tall glasses. It was the habit of placing tops, or tapas, on the glass to stop insects getting at the contents. Soon, a little food was placed on the tapas, so creating the local tradition of casual eating that has now swept the world.

While there will be a wide choice of Fino and Manzanilla brands in most bars and restaurants in Seville, it's worth also knowing about the other great Sherry styles. Amontillado, for example, is darker than fino but is still relatively dry and crisp. Oloroso, which means 'scented' in Spanish, is aged for a longer time than the finos or amontillado. This creates a darker and richer wine which tends to be drunk at the end of a meal.

Sweet Sherry is created by blending one of the dry Sherries with Pedro Xim?nez or Moscatel sweet wine. Cream sherry, the style that's so popular in Britain, is a variety of sweet sherry made from oloroso, while other varieties include a pale cream sherry (made from fino), and medium sherry, which is normally made from amontillado.

If all this sounds a trifle complicated, it will all be so much simpler in Seville. There, the overwhelming majority of brands on offer will be Fino and Manzanilla. You will even find some restaurants that offer a complimentary glass as you arrive. A trip down to the coast to Jerez will be a tempting excursion too where tours of the sherry bodegas - Gonz?les Byass and Pedro Domecq are the big names ? are very popular.

Back home, if you've taken to the idea of a chilled glass of fino before your meals, you may find yourself keeping a bottle of dry Sherry in the fridge. Don't hold back as fino should be drunk young and fresh and it doesn't keep for long periods once the bottle has been opened.

Not so long ago, fortified wines like Sherry seemed to pack a real punch compared with table wines. Now, with many ordinary wines getting up towards 15% alcohol by volume, pretty well the same as most dry sherries, a glass of Tio Pepe or a Manzanilla is as pleasant a way to start an evening as a beer or any dry white wine. Soon, you'll be wanting a return visit to Seville to really explore the Sherry brands on offer.