Part three of our Spanish Wine Summer series brings it home with Paola Medina Sheldon, Technical Director and Winemaker of the legendary Bodegas Williams and Humbert in Cádiz, Spain. Paola shares stories of tasting a 100-year-old Amontillado and the secret to being happy in doing work that you choose. Finally, we are teased with the vintage Fino line and new vodka that is definitely the most unique in the world. We were so fortunate to have her join the ladies Wine Two Five, so please enjoy – preferably with a glass of Sherry!
Val: “Welcome back listeners! Steph and I have a wine-tastic guest today that is joining us all the way from Espana via Skype!”
Steph: “Yes, as a continuation of our series on Spain, our guest and our topic today are all about Sherry! Val and I are both lovers of Sherry, the entire spectrum of styles, and we feel it doesn’t get enough attention. Sherry is often misunderstood and ignored. Let’s change that!… and get into the show! But before we introduce our guest, let’s find out what’s in everyone’s glass.”
Drinking: what’s in our glasses
Val: “I’m drinking Steph’s bottle of Paola’s wine, the Williams & Humbert Dry Sack Sherry. This is a blend of different Sherries that was then oak aged. It’s interesting that it’s not fully dry, as there is a detectable sweetness. It still has that savoury character I like, but with the PX, Olorso and Amontillado Sherries blended in I could see this with a whole different plate of foods. Sadly, there is no Jamon Iberico in my house…this is delicious!”
Paola: “I also have a Dry Sack Sherry, but this is a new project. This is the 15 Year Medium Dry Sack Sherry – it is the father of your wine, I think!”
Steph: “I’m drinking a 2012 Rogo Godello from the Valdeorras DO in Galicia, Spain. Valdeorras means “Valley of Gold”. This white wine is 100% Godello grapes and is priced at $18.99. For those of you who are wondering what Godello is like… Its predominant expression is apple, with apricot, pineapple, herbs and mint. Wine drinkers who like light, dry white wine will enjoy this as an alternative. Godello wines pair nicely with an array of foods, so don’t fuss about the perfect pairings. When I was shopping for Spanish wines recently, I found 5 Godellos to choose from!”
Photo courtesy of Williams & Humbert
Discussion – Sherry with guest Paola Medina Sheldon
Paola Medina Sheldon belongs to the second generation of the Medina family, which owns Bodegas Williams & Humbert. Paola is a native of Seville and she has worked at the company since 2010 and holds the position of the Technical Director and Winemaker since 2012. Previously, she has worked in ‘Cellar 14 Viñas’ in Ciudad Real, as well as other related positions since 1999. She has a Degree in Chemistry from the University of Granada, in Enology from the University of Cadiz and Masters in Viticulture, Enology and Legislation from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Paola has also conducted and participated in numerous courses and seminars.
We’ve learned some interesting things about Bodegas Williams and Humbert:
- They own one of the largest wine cellars in Europe and can store up to 50,000 casks under one roof.
- They produce 25 million bottles a year – that’s Sherry, and other spirits like brandy, rum and light wines.
- This bodega has the oldest collection of anadas (single vintage sherries), which they have been producing since 1920
In fact, Paola talked to us about the casks that date back to 1920, and how they even still have wines in bottle from that vintage! You can hear the joy in her voice as she talks about the history of Sherry and the winery. Sherry is one of the most complex wines on the planet, from the way it’s made to the glass. These old casks are preserved to commemorate the history and pride of the Sherry heritage.
Paola considers herself lucky to work in a job and place – and with a team – of people she loves. She believes her professional team is close, and also a part of her family; she values her connection with them.
Another question we had for Paola was about the oldest Sherry she’s ever tasted. She described an Amontillado that was 100 years old that had continued to evolve in bottle and its oxidative characteristics. Tasting Sherries of different ages allows the winemakers to get some insight into how wines develop in bottle and age.
Paola using a venencia (Photo courtesy of Williams & Humbert)
Although Steph got kicked out of the call by skype, we pressed on with questions. One of the things that Steph has been infatuated with is the venencia. She wants to own one. Paola talks to us about the skills involved in using a venencia, and how these are actually personal tools, like a pen or golf club. The main purpose of the venencia is to break the yeasty covering or veil of a Fino’s surface to access the wine cleanly – then there’s the trick of getting it into the wine glass. It is a very special art (she calls it, “The art of the stick”) that requires much practice and patience. Although the venencia is used for the Oloroso (wines aged oxidatively, without the flor) it is more important to be used for Fino (wines aged biologically, with the flor). It was interesting to note that in San Lucar the venencias are made of cane, which is a peculiarity, compared to the venencias we’ve seen in photos.
Paola also gave us insight into how consumer opinions are changing about Sherry, and she enjoys that young people want to know more about Sherry than ever before. More information is being demanded regarding the grapes, wine making process, the land, and the many types of Sherries – not to mention it’s a very food friendly wine! Additionally, she mentioned that Sherry is great in cocktails. Val took a cue from the bottle tag’s cocktail recipe list and created a Dry Sack Manhattan that evening.
Val’s Dry Sack Manhattan
We got Steph back into the conversation, albeit by phone, so we finished up our chat with Paola telling us about their new vintage Fino line and this sexy new Vodka, the only one in the world based on Sherry, that Bodegas Williams & Humbert are releasing later this year!
Factoid:
Val: “Sherry, like Champagne, comes from a particular place. Just like all sparkling wines are not Champagne, not all fortified wines can, nor should they, be called Sherry. Sherry, also spelled Xerez or Jerez, comes from the region of Andalucia in the south of Spain and, more specifically, the Sherry Triangle comprising the towns of San Lucar de Barrameda, Jerez (hence the name), and La Puerta de Santa Maria.
“The Jerez-Xerez-Sherry DO was created in 1933 and includes not only zones where Sherry can be produced, but also maturation zones, i.e., where the wines can age. While, generally, most of the grape-growing is done between the rivers of Quadalquivir and Guadalete, Jerez can be matured in Jerez or Puerta; but Manzanilla must be matured in Sanlucar de Barrameda.
“In addition to the Sherry Triangle, it seems that other things about Sherry occur in threes. There are three major soil types, and only three permitted grape varieties. Also serendipitous is that we can associate the grapes with their favorite soils. For example, the chalky, white Albariza is where one of the three grapes, Palomino, thrives. In the clay or Barro soils we can find our friend the Pedro Ximenez grape (or PX). The third soil and grape pairing are the Arena or sandy soils which hosts much of the Moscatel (which is really the Muscat of Alexandria).
Val’s Sherry lunch in Madrid (note the different types to sample!)
“The first grape, the Palomino, comprises approximately 98% of the grape plantings.
“Finally, not all Sherries are sweet. Dry Fino and Manzanilla styles make excellent meal accompaniments or for tapas.”
Steph found a short 11-minute video on the Wines of Sherry on the Guild Somm website. Since we only touched on the tippy top of the surface, this video does a rocking job of showing the different styles. The music alone makes it worth watching… but it summarizes the styles and winemaking techniques. The video is also posted on our WineTwoFive FaceBook page.
Wino Radar:
Steph: “I just came back from Texas yesterday, and there is a second annual statewide LoireFest happening the whole month of July. Texas restaurants, bars and retailers are celebrating wines from the Loire Valley of France. You can find and follow what’s happening via the #LoireFest on Twitter”
Shoutouts:
Val: “Thank you to Paola and the Bodegas Williams & Humbert Team, including Cristina, the director of the Communications Department, who helped us pull this off! Connect with Val on Twitter @WineGalUnboxed and on the Vino With Val FB page, and on instagram as Vino with Val. You can find Steph on Twitter @Albarellosoap and on the AlbarelloSoap FB page, and check out the videos on the Albarello YouTube channel!
“You can find Paola here: Bodegas Williams & Humbert website”
Steph: “You can visit us on the WineTwoFive website, FB page, Twitter, Pinterest & YouTube or check out our contact page. Also, if you want to build your collection of wine books – particularly the ones we’ve mentioned on this show, you can check out the online store on our website! We chose some of our favorite items and linked them up through our website.”
We love this one on Sherry by Peter Liem:
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One more thing… Don’t forget to use the #W25Challenge when you are trying new wines and drinks