Sherry Maestro No.22

Sherry seems to be going through a mini-renaissance right now, after decades of being banished to the backwater of granny's christmas cupboard. It is after all one of the few real bargains of the wine world - complex, characterful, consistent and often aged for a decade or more, yet entry level examples in most styles can be had for under a tenner. Many of us who fancy ourselves as tastemongers or connoisseurs are familiar enough with the key concepts - a refreshing fino or manzanilla makes a delightful aperitif, dry amontillado or oloroso can be amazing food wines, and then there are the luscious, unctuous concoctions made with Pedro Ximenez. Yet in the UK, it's hard to find anything like the range of sherry producers that we might expect from other wine styles. Lustau flies the quality flag, but is a huge concern. La Gitana is ever reliable, if unexciting. But what about the smaller, "boutique" producers?

So it was that eight of us were gathered around a table in Herne Hill's very fi…