Tio Pepe Fino Sherry

I suspect that sherry is the most misunderstood and under-appreciated relationship to have in the wine world. I admit that it is not as easily accessible as some adult beverages. If most people know sherry at all it is for cooking or salads. But like the best relationships, its rich complexity rewards those willing to spend the time. 

This month the World Wine Travel group of wine writers moves to southern Spain, Andalucia, which brought to mind the first line of one of my favorite Clash songs “Spanish songs in Andalucía.” The lyrics, like sherry, testify to layers of history, and how they interact with each other over time, connecting past and present, and with those who come in contact with it. 

The rule of thumb for pairing sherry is:

• If it swims, Fino.
• If it flies, Amontillado.
• If it runs, Oloroso.

And if it’s dessert, go with cream sherry which blends the three!

That would be for drinking along with your meal– and can be a good reference for cooking too. But you can also go with what you have on hand. And in our case, it was Fino from Tio Pepe, the most popular sherry sold in the world.  

Sherry comes from Andalucia, the large southernmost region of Spain with coasts on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and bordering Portugal. 

Africa, specifically Morocco, has influenced the cuisine of the region and providing it with a range of spices different than other parts of Spain. Morocco is only 8 miles away from Andalusia across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Read more about my quest for Sherry Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

Learn how Sherry is made here.

Wine: Sherry from Jerez

Created in 1835 by Manuel Maria González, González Byass remains in family hands today, as one of Spain’s most well-known Sherry wine producers.now in the fifth and sixth generation. Founded in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, the heart of Sherry country, González Byass also remains dedicated to the production of high-quality sherries including these two:

• Tio Pepe Palomino Fino 
• Harvey’s Bristol Creme
• Read about pairing Harvey with Halloween candy here.
• Read more about Harvey and Pepe from Sherry Week in 2019 here.

Tio Pepe

Menu: Andalusian Inspired 

• Andalusian Garbanzo Beans with Spinach
• Andalusian Instant Pot Garbanzo Bean Soup with Ham, Chorizo (recipe below)
• Bread Pudding with Cream Sherry Sauce (recipe here)
• Stay tuned for more sherry and food pairings!

Tio Pepe and Garbanzo Bean Soup; scroll down for recipe

Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe
ABV 15%
SRP $20

Unlike other sherries, this 100% palomino in the Fino should be enjoyed for a few days after opening to maintain its subtle and complex character.  While aged for four years under the flor, the unique layer of yeast produced naturally in Jerez, think about it like a white wine, keep it refrigerated, and enjoy it chilled with white fish or salads. Check the recipes on the Tio Pepe site for inspiration.

FUN FACT: Tio Pepe’s is the number one selling Fino sherry in the world.

Color Golden, buttercup

Aroma Camomile, grasses, fennel, fennel pollen, caramelized sugar, 

Palate Camomile tea, fennel, nutty, toasted almond, there is a bitterness at the front of the palate with a very nice finish, sip so you have a lengthy finish. Nice complexity, dry yet smooth, nice palate cleanser, as your palate gets used to the flavor of the wine, it becomes even better, especially with food.  

Pairing Pair with a light white fish in a lemon caper sherry sauce. Very nice with castrellvano olives and a bite of aged manchego cheese. Works nicely with salty Spanish chorizo, the fatty richness is cut nicely by the wine.

The wine needs the salty rich food. This is not the pairing for everyone, but we loved it. The richness of the soup with the rich dryness of the wine works well together. The wine cleanses the palate after the rich fattiness of the soup. The soup has a long lingering finish like the sherry does. This would be a great winter pairing. Both the food and the wine has a lovely richness that goes on and on. It would be great to come home to this dinner on a cold winter evening. We felt that the soup and the wine would work well, but we didn’t know how well they would work together. If you were to ever to do a coursed meal with sherry, this would be the perfect course with fino. 

Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry with bread pudding with cream sherry sauce

Harvey’s Bristol Creme 
ABV 17.5%
SRP $20

If you’re new to cream sherry, warning: it’s not like Baliey’s Irish cream; there’s no milk products involved. BUT there is a creaminess on the palate. Made from a blend of three types of sherry– rich Oloroso and Fino and Amontillado for florals and character– and a blend of two grapes 80% Palomino, 20% Pedro Ximenez. 

FUN FACT: Harvey’s is the number one selling cream sherry in the world.

Enjoy cold! The label turns color! Drink it neat or on ice with a twist.

Color Amber, burnt orange, caramel.

Aroma Herbal, caramel, menthol, this is not the wine to spend a lot of time sniffing, herbs, butter and sugar, 

Palate Sweet brown sugar, vanilla, mint, milk chocolate on the finish, candy corn, butterscotch, 

Pairing OMG this bread pudding is so flipping fantastic with this wine. The sherry cream sauce does not fight with the wine at all and is harmonizing. The cranberries soaked in the warm sherry was great. The only thing I wanted was a bit of toasted walnut over the top. Sue never licks her plate nor does she go back for seconds, but she wanted another helping of this dish. 

Garbanzo Beans ready for action

Instant Pot Andalusian Garbanzo Bean and Ham Soup with Chorizo 

To cook the beans with ham in the instant pot, combine:

• 2 T oil
• 2 tsp moroccan spice
• 2 tsp paprika 
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 C broth 
• ½ C dry sherry 
• 9.5 C water 
• 4 C dried garbanzo beans (1 pound) 
• 2 ribs celery, chopped 
• 1/2 C carrots, chopped 
• 1 small onion chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped  
• 1 tsp fine sea salt 
• 1 meaty hambone (we used one that had been smoked!)

These beans are delicious on their own; they can be sautéed with more ham and spinach or used to make humous.

Directions for Andalusian Inspired Garbanzo Beans with Ham Soup

• Using the saute function, in 2 T oil add:
  1 small onion chopped
• When onion is soft, add and cook until soft
  2 ribs celery, chopped 
  1/2 C carrots, chopped
  4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Add 1/2 c sherry to deglaze.
• Stir in paprika, salt, and moroccan spice.
• Add beans and stir.
• Add broth and bay leaves.
• Add hambone and settle in amongst the beans.
• Add 9-10 C water to generously cover beans and bone but not quite fill instant pot!.
• 45 minutes, quick release; it will take a while to come to pressure.
• Remove bones, cartilage, bay leaves. 

Makes 3 quarts beans with broth covering, plus 1 quart broth with meat from bone.
May be refrigerated for several days or frozen. 

To finish making the Chorizo Soup:

1. In a large covered pan, saute until brown 1 small onion chopped, 4 cloves garlic chopped, 2 chorizo sliced.
2. Add spices and herbs: one tsp each paprika, thyme, rosemary, oregano, ground cumin, plus pinch saffron.
3. Add pre-made (see above): 1 quart broth and 1 quart beans with broth and meat (you could use the equivalent of 4 cups or 2 cans of already cooked garbanzo beans with 4 cups broth but it won’t have that rich hambone flavor). 
4. Simmer for 10-20 minutes or longer.
5. Add 2 large chopped potatoes to soup. 
6. Simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender

Yes I am drinking sherry in my profile pic!!

Join us in celebrating all things SHERRY during International Sherry Week, November 8 – 14, 2021. 

For more Spanish songs in Andalusia, check out posts by my fellow World Wine Travel writers:

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla offers Tapas on Toast: Spanish Montaditos + 2017 Sierras de Málaga Laderas de Sedella Anfora.
• Lynn of Savor the Harvest reveals Three Facts About Sherry and Why You Need to Try a Bottle.
• Terri of Our Good Life gives us A Beginner’s Guide to Amontillado and Spanish Tapas.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm brings us A Friday Night Cocktail that starts with Alvear Tres Miradas Vino de Pueblo 2018.
• Susannah of Avvinare is Learning to Love Sherry One Style at a Time.
• Reggie at Wine Casual offers 10 Tips for Sherry Lovers & Wine Geeks Visiting Sevilla and Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
• Jeff Burrows of Food Wine Click! asks Sherry is a Fortified Wine, or is It?
• Nicole of Somm’s Table dishes Bodegas Dios Baco PX and a Banana Cake.
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley declares Spanish Songs in Andalucía with Soup and Sherry: Oh My Corazón.
• Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog serves up 2018 Jorge Ordoñez & Co. Moscatel Old Vines Botani + Trout Tartine with Stone Fruit.

Check out the Sat. Oct. 23 8am Pacific twitter chat on these topics by searching for #WorldWineTravel:

• 11:00 am ET
• Q1 Welcome to the #WorldWineTravel Andalusia chat. Where are you tweeting from? Introduce yourself, share a link to your blog. Visitors too!
• 11:05 am ET
• Q2 What did you learn about the Andalusia region for the theme this month (beginning with Is it Andalucía or Andalusia)? Any surprises? #WorldWineTravel
• 11:10am ET
• Q3 Have you visited the region? If not, was there anything you learned that makes you want to visit? #WorldWineTravel
• 11:15am ET
• Q4 Is this your first wine from Andalusia #WorldWineTravel?
• 11:20 am ET
• Q5 Which wine did you select and what area is it from? Would you buy the wine again? Share a pic or link #WorldWineTravel
• 11:25 am ET
• Q6 If your chose a #Sherry #Wine which style did you choose? #WorldWineTravel
• 11:30 am ET
• Q7 #Sherry can be an “acquired” taste.  Based on your experience with the wine(s) you chose, would you buy more? #WorldWineTravel
• 11:35am ET
• Q8 Did you enjoy your wine with food? What did you choose for your pairing? Reasons? Post a link or photo! #WorldWineTravel
• 11:40am ET
• Q9 What are your thoughts on your wine and food pairing? Success or opportunity for improvement, no matter! #WorldWineTravel
• 11:45am ET
• Q10 When it comes to pairing, are there foods you would avoid? #WorldWineTravel
• 11:50am
• Q11 Do you have any final thoughts or new questions for the group? #WorldWineTravel
• 11:55am
• Thanks for joining #WorldWineTravel Wines of Andalusia. Thanks to the participating writers @culinary_cam@savortheharvest @winecasualHQ @tsteffes @sommstable @foodwinelclick @wendyklik @vignetocomm
• 12 Noon
• Q12.  Please join the #WorldWineTravel writers next month as we virtually explore Wines of Castilla-La Mancha host by Deanna @asiantestkitchn