Fino

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This article is about the sherry variety. For the scheduling algorithm, see FINO.

Fino ('fine' in Spanish) is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of sherry. It is drunk comparatively young, and unlike the sweeter varieties should be drunk soon after the bottle is opened as exposure to air can cause them to lose their flavour within hours.

When first barrelled, sherries made using the fino method are only partially filled to allow the action of the flor yeast to give it the distinctive fresh taste of dry sherries. If the flor is allowed to die and the wine undergoes oxidative aging, the wine darkens and the flavour becomes stronger, resulting in an amontillado sherry.

[edit] Varieties

• Jerez Fino, made from grapes grown in the vineyards around Jerez and aged in the bodegas there, where the climate is hotter than those near the coast. The hotter summers cause Jerez fino to develop a thinner layer of flor and thus a stronger flavour due to more exposure to the air.
• Puerto Fino, made around El Puerto de Santa María. The cooler climate near the sea results in a thicker layer of flor and a more acidic and delicate flavour than Jerez fino.
• Manzanilla, made around Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the climate is cooler than El Puerto de Santa María. Similar to the Puerto Fino, manzanilla has a fresher and more delicate flavour than Jerez fino.

[edit] Serving

As with particularly dry sherries, it is best served chilled before a meal, and in Spain is always drunk with tapas of some form, such as olives or almonds, or even seafood.

Highly-rated examples of this form of sherry include 'Tio Pepe' from Gonzalez Byass, 'La Ina' by Pedro Domecq, or 'Pando' from Williams & Humbert.