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A Sherry solera
©Sherry Wines

Oloroso Sherry is a rich, oxidized style of wine that is made in Andalucia, in southern Spain. It is known for its nutty, caramelized characteristics and is quite distinct from the region's other key style, Fino Sherry, which is light, dry and yeasty.

Like most dry Sherries, Oloroso is made from the region's almost ubiquitous Palomino Fino grape variety (the other two permitted grapes, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel, are used exclusively to make sweet Sherry). While grapes for Fino production are grown on the well-drained, white albariza soils, grapes for Oloroso tend to occupy the less-premium soils, as there is less need for finesse in the base wine.

The base wine is fermented to around 11 percent alcohol, and is fortified with a mix of grape spirit and old wine. Oloroso is fortified to around 17-20 percent alcohol, which is too high to encourage the growth of flor, the yeast that is essential to the production of other kinds of Sherry. The Oloroso is then put into a solera system, where it can age oxidatively, taking on the dried fruit and wood character associated with this kind of wine.

The solera system is a particular quirk of Sherry production, and is important in ensuring the wines are consistent regardless of their vintage. The solera consists of several tiers of barrels, arranged with the oldest barrels at the bottom, and the newest wines on top. Wine is extracted from the oldest barrels to be bottled, and the barrels are replenished with wines from the next-oldest, and so on. This laborious process – which can have more than 10 levels of barrels – is called "running the scales".

Although the wine has been made for hundreds of years, Oloroso Sherry is currently enjoying a boom in popularity, along with Fino Sherry and all the styles that come in between.

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