Sherry: A Modern Guide to the Wine World’s Best-Kept Secret

A wine “so misunderstood that one wonders if it was the victim of an elaborate smear campaign involving all of the grandmas, everywhere,” sherry holds a special place in the history of wine, spirits, and cocktails, argues Talia Baiocchi, who sets the story straight in this engaging and wildly informative study of the Spanish wine. An outspoken advocate for sherry in all its forms, Baiocchi begins by taking readers on a trip to Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria, the three Spanish cities that comprise the “Sherry Triangle” that produces much of the world’s sherry. She tours all of the major (and some of the minor) producers, supplying tasting notes as well as recommendations for their best offerings. Interestingly enough, sherry cobbler, a combination of sherry, sugar and citrus was one of the most popular cocktails during the cocktail boom of the late 1800s through Prohibition, when tastes shifted to the hard stuff. Those who want to sample the spirit for themselves will appreciate both Baiocchi’s shortlist of recommendations as well as recipes for the classic sherry cobbler and other cocktails, enabling them to experience their own sherry-induced epiphanies at home. (Oct.)