Mention sherry to almost anyone and they’ll tell you a story about their granny, who used to sip it while listening to the nightly radio address. But that’s about to change, as the underrated drink — a type of fortified wine made in Jerez, a region in Andalusia, Spain — is back in fashion, and the city’s wine geeks and trendsetters are determined to make it the tipple of 2010.
All over town, sommeliers are adding sherry to wine lists, while bartenders and mixologists are using it in velvety fall cocktails. There’s even a local grass-roots group, Sherry Mob, whose M.O. is “to spread the word that sherry’s not for your aunt or your grandma,” says founding member and drinks consultant Kelley Slagle.
Patrick Cappiello, wine director at Gilt, the Michelin-starred restaurant and bar in the Palace Hotel, admits that more young people are showing an interest than ever before. “It’s really strange, but really great at the same time,” says the ardent fan of the Spanish drink. “There’s been a misconception that it’s cheap wino wine. Or that it was something drunk by your priest,” he explains. “But our generation doesn’t have that memory so much, so we’re more apt to experiment.”
PHOTOS: SHERRY-BASED COCKTAILS
Cappiello has nine sherries on his wine list. Dry, light versions, like Finos and Manzanillas, are listed next to Champagne as aperitifs, while richer, heavier Olorosos and cream sherries are suggested as dessert wines. “It’s a misconception that sherry’s sweet,” Cappiello says. “It’s an extremely food-friendly wine. I like to pair it with seafood.” You can even enjoy the drink, which typically comes in a 2½-ounce pour, with meat: “Oloroso, a more dense, rich wine, can work with a steak, onions or mushrooms,” he says.
(Be careful how much you quaff, though: Sherry packs a punch, thanks to an alcohol content of 15 to 20 percent.)
The once-maligned, oak-aged drink is a bargain, too, says Heather Laiskonis, general manager at Aldea, chef George Mendes’ modern Iberian boite. “When you think about how it’s made, how old it is — it could come from a wine that’s 60 years old,” she says. “For $10 or $12, that’s unbelievable value.”
And her customers are taking advantage of it — 20 percent of them, to be exact. “The numbers are weirdly high at lunch,” she says. “We have a lot of ‘Mad Men’-esque, boozy publishing lunches. Those diners have a bit more knowledge; going out to eat is de rigueur, and they often start with a sherry. There’s an innocence to it that makes it OK to drink during the day.”
More often, though, customers are turned on to the tipple by Laiskonis and her staff: “New Yorkers are excited to learn something new. If someone’s looking for a recommendation, we mention it, and I’d say 60 percent then order it.”
Jesse Webster, beverage director of The Monday Room, a wine bar on Elizabeth Street with five sherries on the wine list, also makes a habit of promoting it. “People don’t sit around drinking Fino in the afternoon like they do Spain. Lack of awareness is an impediment, so relatively few ask for a sherry, but we offer a taste, introduce people to it, and we’re seeing a real resurgence.”
So what’s the best way for New York’s sherry neophytes to try the drink? Laiskonis prefers it before dinner, in place of a cocktail, while Cappiello recommends cold dry sherry (served in a wine glass) in warmer weather and an Oloroso at this time of year, as a digestif with cheese. His favorite this season is a $16 glass of Lustau Tintilla de Rota. “It’s as good as any vintage Port out there,” he says.
If cheese plates and straight-up aperitifs aren’t your thing, grab a sherry cocktail instead. Slagle of Sherry Mob loves the Smoked Palomino, a combination of tequila, sherry and grapefruit served at Mayahuel in the East Village. “It’s my favorite,” she enthuses. “But really, I love them all.”