Sherry & Port

Fine specialties for the bar and kitchen: Sherry and Port at Heinemann

A good meal without a glass of sherry or an aged port? It would be inconceivable for the British – aromatic sweet wines have a long-standing tradition in the Netherlands and Belgium too. The popularity of sherry and port in Northern Europe especially is thanks to the fact that these regions have always had to import wines from the south. "Fortified" wines – meaning wines cut with wine distillates – simply survived long sea travel better. Today, the round, fruity flavor of sherry and port is favored among connoisseurs: you will find many of the classic brands, such as Graham’s and Sandeman  online in the Heinemann shop.

Sherry and port wine: What are the similarities and differences? 

Sherry and port have quite a bit in common. Both are produced using high quality base wines, both are distinguished by their sweet, highly aromatic flavor and both are a classic companion to a dessert or cheese or enjoyed straight as a digestif. The alcohol content of the two spirits is also similar, at between 15% to a maximum of 20% vol. The differences between sherry and port lie in their origin – sherry is produced in Spain, while port has its roots in Portugal – as well as in the grapes used. Sherry is generally produced on the basis of white wine, while port is made of red wine grapes, with very few exceptions. 

Where does the rich classic port wine come from? 

Port is named after the Portuguese Port of Porto and is produced in a well-known Portuguese wine-growing region, Duoro Valley. Since the end of the 17th century, red grapes, and in some rare cases white ones as well, have been developed here into high quality sweet wines that can be stored for long periods. For this purpose, the wine is fortified with 77% alcohol during the fermenting process, stopping fermentation and keeping a portion of natural residual sugar in the wine. The port then matures in the barrel for two to six years before it is tasted and bottled. Depending on how long the port is matured in the barrel, it is classified as ruby (2-3 years), tawny (more than three years) or colheita (vintage wine with long barrel maturation).

A Spanish liqueur wine inspires connoisseurs: What is sherry?

Sherry is produced in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Just like port wines, it is created using a base wine. However, white wine is generally used for the production of sherry, particularly wines made from the palomino grape. After the fermenting process the base wine is fortified with a wine distillate and then matured in large free-standing open barrels, which allows the sugar to be fermented equally. Depending on how much spirit is added to the white wine, it undergoes either reductive aging, creating a Fino sherry, or oxidative aging, creating an Oloroso sherry as the end product.

A pleasure either pure or mixed - first class sherry and port wines at Heinemann

Dry fruity sherry such as Tio Pepe are lovely to drink on their own during a meal. Sherry is also an excellent choice when enjoying a creamy cheese or sweet dessert – and if you are looking for a change, you can mix sherry in a cocktail such as a tuxedo. Port is a classic digestif and the perfect accompaniment to a cheese platter. Taylor’s Port and other high quality port wines are popular in sauces and desserts. Enjoy aromatic sweet wines from the Heinemann shop – order your sherry & port conveniently online.