The VinePair Podcast: Has the Wine Trade Given Up on Sherry?

In recent years, sherry has been a hot topic. Year after year, articles would pour out, declaring sherry as “The Next Big Thing.” And year after year, it failed to take off. Recently, Adam discovered just how much sherry is struggling when he couldn’t find a decent bottle after searching numerous wine shops for one to use (and sip on) while making paella. Moreover, none of the staff members at any of these stores were actually able to describe the sherry they did have to him, prompting the question: Is sherry dead?

Sherry has historically been a tough beverage to pin down. Is it something to sip on its own? Or with dessert? Does it deserve a place in cocktails? Is it only something to use when cooking? Such uses have convoluted the fortified wine and perhaps prevented it from experiencing the same success as beverages like vermouth and amaro.

There’s also the very real possibility that the only thing holding the sherry industry afloat is its casks, which are an essential part of Scotch whisky production. With no one drinking sherry as a stand-alone sipper, if sherry bombs fall out of favor, would sherry even be able to persist?

On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach reflect on the fact that after years of trying to hype up sherry, the wine trade seems to have largely forgotten about it, relegating it to producing casks for Scotch and an occasional cocktail ingredient. Tune in for more.

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Zach is reading: From the Alabama Slammer to the White Russian: Were Any Good Cocktails Created in the ’70s?
Adam is reading: Exciting, Affordable, and Walkable, Athens Has the Most Exciting Cocktail Scene In Europe Right Now