Sherry Week returns again this year from November 4th - 10th, 2024! Perhaps you’ve always wanted to get more involved but needed just a slight push or a few tips on how to get started? You’ve come to the right place.
The primary goal is to create your own event in your own town or city so that you can add it to the International Sherry Week Map and join the worldwide celebration. Sounds straightforward enough right? Oh, but did you know that as of the 10th anniversary of Sherry Week, we’ve now decided to include SHERRY RUTAS? Drawing inspiration from the “ruta del vino” tradition where folks in Jerez follow signs for fresh mosto right after harvest season when the first fermentation of wine is complete, Sherry Week encourages cities to band together to create their own Sherry Ruta. This means having one city register at least 10 events so that locals can follow their very own “ruta del vino” aka, trail of wine. Let’s band together!
1) REACH OUT WELL IN ADVANCE (like today!)
If you’re like me, you probably know a few folks in town that would also like to participate in Sherry Week. But then life and commitments have a way of distracting a month or two or more out of us. Time to draft a simple inquiry email. Write something akin to: Hey friends, I’m excited about putting an event or two together for Sherry Week this year. If our town manages to post 10 events, we can even advertise as a bespoke Sherry Ruta on the International Map. Any interest in collaborating or working towards this goal for November 4th-10th?
Feel free to copy and paste and send directly to your network. Then follow up!
2) HAVE A FEW IDEAS YOU CAN SHARE READY
Some of us absolutely love creating fresh new events that no one has done before! THAT SAID, most of us just want to be involved and if we have to organize, we’d rather keep it simple, tried and true. When coordinating with your fellow sherry lovers around town, include the classic ideas so folks can feel free to just go with the flow and get involved.
For example:
- Sherry Pours all Sherry Week (this one is great because you’re able to rack up a separate event for each day the Sherry special is offered with minimal extra work.)
- Sherry Tasting with a local distributor
- Sherry Flights on a special menu
- Sherry Cocktails on a special menu
- Sherry Cocktail competition (also ideal if you can work with a local ambassador and recruit other bars around town)
- Sherry Pairing Lunch or Dinner menu
- Sherry Class (perfect to recruit a Sherry Educator in your region)
3) CONNECT WITH A SHERRY AMBASSADOR
Depending on your local needs, there may be a few of us nearby or able to put you in connection with someone near you that can help out with introductions and possibly product placement or donations. Better yet, if there is a Sherry Educator in your region, you could collaborate with them on a class and get even better promotion via their specific contacts. Visit the Sherry Week website to find someone near you! The key is of course, to encourage folks to promote and buy sherry and sherry cocktails so that Sherry Wines can live forever.
4) FINE TUNE YOUR IDEA
In order to get the ball truly rolling, you’ll need to fine tune the specs of your idea. Does it have a name? Need a brainstorm session?
For example:
- Sherry & Oyster Happy Hour
- Sherry & Sushi Pairing Dinner
- Sherry Cobbler Competition
- Sherry Tasting & Flamenco
- Sherry Class Series!
- The Main Dry Styles + tasting on Day 1
- The Sweeter Styes + tasting on Day 2
- The Classic Cocktails on Day 3
- The New School Cocktails on Day 4
- Sherry Pairing for your Home Meal on Day 5
- Sherry Pairing for your Restaurant on Day 6
- Sherry Cask Aged Spirits + Sherry tasting on Day 7
5) ASK YOURSELF SOME KEY LOGISTIC QUESTIONS
Perhaps you’ve got a really cool event in your head you are dying to see realized? Using paper and pen, or tablet, phone or computer, jot down your specific ideas focusing on logistics and timing and needs by asking yourself the following questions:
- Will the venue I want to work with make sense or be practical? Do I have a back-up?
- How many folks are necessary to attend for success?
- Will I need more than one brand to work with?
- Can I lock down the day and time by a certain date? (set a date like right before Labor Day at the latest because most folks get VERY busy in September)
- Will I have enough glassware and staff?
- Who are the exact people that need to be on the email chain for this to move forward?
- Who can I reach out to in order to get this event in front of more people?
6) GIVE YOURSELF EASY GOALS WITH DEADLINES
Getting an event out of one’s head and into the hearts and desires of others can sometimes seem far more difficult than it actually is. Set a goal for each step you create and mark it on a calendar. Then be sure to invite or tag any folks that are also involved for that exact goal. Start by suggesting a day in Sherry Week (Nov. 4th -10th) and also give a back up date. Pencil it in. Then set another date (two weeks from now) for follow up with folks. Keep adding dates per task and then be sure to give yourself at least one month beforehand so that you can properly promote your event. The earlier the better!
7) FOUR AT LEAST
Curious about how many sherries to feature in your event? The spectrum of sherry is beautiful but sometimes daunting. The number of sherries we taste depends on the type of tasting and also on your audience. Will attendees be trying sherry for the first time? Are they more seasoned? I always have at least four sherries – a fino, a manzanilla, an amontillado, and an oloroso. You can tell them that afterwards, it gets even sweeter - PX, cream – to counter the common misconception that all sherry is sweet. Yes, there is sweet sherry, but there are these other labels that are driving sherry production, and which go incredibly well with food. Another key element if you decide to offer both dry and sherry tastings in the same line-up is to serve each style with a snack pairing and/or palate cleanser.
Try and serve at least 4 different styles of sherry to demonstrate the spectrum of styles.
8) KEY WORDS ON MENUS
If you’ve worked long enough in the wine and food industry AND you enjoy sherry, you may have noticed that promoting sherry can be tricky at times. With all the misconceptions and lack of education in most of the wine swilling world, the very mystery of sherry can be intimidating. When building your menu try doing this:
- Staff favorites! Ask your sommelier, lead bartender, manager, and or server for their favorite sherry and then mention them as a recommendation on your Sherry Week menu. Use their first name. For example: Sarah’s recommendation with this dish is…
- Use easy and relatable descriptions! Add a few notes after you list the sherry that entice and feel intriguing yet also safe. For example: …manzanilla: sea spray minerality, dried chamomile, sourdough toast, almonds, dried citrus and golden apples
- Include where the sherry can be bought locally and give a shout out to a collaborative retailer. Provide @s and #s for folks to use.
- Include key details like whether the sherry is family owned, women-made, or has a unique story. For example: enjoyed by every member of the original Beatles on this date.
9) PICK YOUR TUNES FOR YOUR AMBIANCE
Music is always helpful to create the right ambience – it makes everything flow better, especially for a crowd who are tasting sherry for the first time. It’s very personal, so as the host I pick what I think will work best, depending on the mood. Perhaps something a little cheesy, or a little background. I have a soft spot for 1980s pop, or it could be a mish-mash - indie bands, ballads, classical, jazz. I’ve never done a tasting with live music, but a string quartet might be nice.
10) BE WELL-INFORMED
These days so many people have dietary restrictions or allergies, so you always need a good mix of snacks – not just ham, but olives, nuts, different cheeses, gluten-free crackers. It’s really important to ask the people who are coming if they have any limitations or allergies, so you don’t get caught out on the night, and you’re well prepared. Whether you’re selling tickets or inviting people over, tell them that you’re creating pairings, and to let you know in advance about any so you can plan accordingly. You want everyone to have the same good experience that you’ve curated.
