Five wintry sherry and white port treats to try

Sherry and port are both fortified wines, if very different from one another. For a start, most sherries are dry; indeed manzanilla and fino sherry are some of the driest wines in the world. All ports are sweet, if to varying degrees, and often so balanced by acidity, tannins, spice and nuance that sweetness is far from the overriding impression. If all you’ve known is the simple sweet red fruits of a young ruby port, you’re missing out — on the nuttiness of aged tawny port, the punch of Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) port, the complexity of vintage port, and the bright nuance of aged white port.

Sherry hails primarily from Palamino grapes, grown in the white, chalk-like soils surrounding the Andalusian city of Jerez in southern Spain, and aged in cathedral-like bodegas (wineries) built to maximise airflow and keep temperatures cool indoors as they soar outside. Their cleverly engineered solera ageing system blends older and younger wines via tiered barrels (criadera) to produce sherries of amazing complexity. The driest, palest of these are aged under a layer of white fluffy yeast known as flor, which gives fino and manzanilla their distinctive yeasty tang. These are categorised as biologically aged sherries — the biology bit being the interaction between the living yeast and the wine it feeds off and gives character to. Today’s sherry recommendations, however, have developed their warm amber hues and rich layers through oxidative ageing: Oloroso being the darkest, and Amontillado starting under flor, which dies away, exposing it to oxygen.

Port features local grapes grown on the banks of northern Portugal’s Douro Valley, where dry-stone walls prop up improbably steep terraces of vines. Summers get fierce hot here too, so the wines are aged downriver in Vila Nova de Gaia, twin city to pretty Porto that sits directly cross-river from its warehouse cellars, their sandy floors hosed with water to cool things down. Most grapes in port are red-skinned; white ports feature white grapes like Rabigato, Gouvello and Malvasia Fina. Young white port is refreshing mixed with tonic, but aged white port makes a brilliant neat treat, lightly chilled and sipped solo or paired with umami or sweet flavours. Give it a go; you’re in for a treat. ​​​

Wines of the week

Ferreira Dona Antónia 10-Year-Old White Port, Porto, Portugal, 20pc, €23.49 (37.5cl) A blend of white ports aged for 8-15 years in large oak casks, this is lifted and bright with candied orange peel, kumquat and honey-nougat aromas, its sweetness beautifully balanced by lively acidity. A treat for lovers of aged tawny port but with greater freshness, it is delicious paired with umami-rich foie gras or aged Parmesan, or with lighter, fruit-based desserts. Avoca, Baggot Street Wines, Martins, Clontarf Wines, Donnybrook Fair, Terroirs, Redmonds, Blackrock Cellar, 64 Wine, World Wide Wines, wineonline.ie

M&S Solera Cream, Lustau, Jerez-Xeres-Sherry, Spain, 17.5pc, €18 (75cl) Sweet Vermut lovers might like this bold, bittersweet, well-balanced cream sherry (dry Oloroso sweetened with Pedro Ximenez), ​with bright layers of baked peach, candied grapefruit, golden sultanas, dried apricots and toasted pecan. Go boozy fruit cake. Marks & Spencer

Diatomists Oloroso Singular Botas, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, 19pc, €27 (37.5cl) Named after microscopic marine fossils (diatoms) that help water retention in the white albariza soil, Diatomists are grower-led producers refocusing on those soils and terroir. This single-cask Oloroso is deliciously textured with notes of walnut, leather, cigar box, rancio and orange peel. Wines Direct, Mullingar & Athlone; winesdirect.ie

Quinta de Gaivosa 10-Year-Old White Port, Porto, Portugal, 19.5pc, €29.50 (50cl) Golden amber in colour, with layered aromas of sweet-spicy crystallised ginger, orange peel and dried peach, rich and unctuous on the palate with notes of toasted almond, maple syrup and marmalade. Delicious stuff and great value. Celtic Whiskey Shop; celticwhiskeyshop.com

Primitivo Collantes Amontillado Fossi, Jerez-Xeres-Sherry, Spain, 17.5pc, €35 (75cl) From vineyards in Chiclano de la Frontera, this spends five years ageing under flor and 10 with oxidative ageing. The result is rich with toasted almond and walnut character, hints of chocolate and orange peel, and a lick of briny, rancio, iodine notes. Blackrock Cellar, MacCurtain Wine Cellar, Green Man Wines