1. Hold a Sherry and Tapas Tasting
This is also often referred to as a Sherry flight, – you select a small number of sherries - ideally between three and five, to give a good variation in strength and sweetness – and match each one with a small tapa. You charge a set price for all the glasses of Sherry with their tapas. For example, you could demonstrate the subtle shades between a Fino, Manzanilla and Amontillado; or cover a broader range with Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Cream.
So what do you pair each Sherry with at your tasting?
We have a number of useful resources where you can find inspiration. Our Pairing Guide is a handy downloadable document which explains the characteristics of each Sherry Wine and the various types of dishes with which it matches. For a comprehensive one-page reference, perfect for keeping to hand, the invaluable Sherry Wine pairing chart runs through every type of food, from soft cheese and shellfish to spicy foods and meat stew, and which Sherry best matches it.
Access our food pairing guides:
Some quick suggestions - Fino + olives, Oloroso + soft creamy goat’s cheese, Amontillado + almonds/artichokes
Our tip:
Always start with the driest, lightest sherry –Fino or Manzanilla.
2. Hold a tasting with an expert
If you’re happy to provide the Sherry Wines, but would prefer to have someone qualified and experienced to explain about their specific characteristics, then you have several options. You could invite a sommelier from a local restaurant or hotel to lead the tasting, using the Sherries offered in their establishment. Alternatively, you could ask your nearest Sherry Educator or talk to your local Sherry Wine distributor, find importers in the US and UK here: UK Importers US Importers
Our tip:
Make sure you have plenty of glasses, as some tastings may use as many as ten different Sherry Wines.
3. Sherry tasting for staff
A great incentive for your bar or restaurant staff – rather than the normal team meeting, organise a Sherry Wine tasting for them. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn more about Sherry Wines, while getting to know each other better in a relaxed, fun environment. As your bar staff, mixologists and waiters celebrate Sherry Week, they will appreciate the buzzy atmosphere created by drinking Sherry.
Our tip:
Blind tastings work well, as they engage participants and add a sense of competition.
4. Pairing Menu
For Sherry Week only, you could offer a special Sherry pairing menu, matching dishes to Sherry Wines. For example, a three-course meal with a matched Sherry for each course, using what’s already on your menu – local or speciality dishes which customers are familiar with – highlighting how each Sherry brings out the flavour of the chosen dish, and vice-versa.
Our Pour and Pair section features delicious recipes with paired Sherries to inspire you – such as crab cakes with Oloroso, or oak-smoked beef with Palo Cortado. This is a great way to show your customers new flavour combinations by trying unexpected pairings – foods they might never expect to match with Sherry wines, elevating their gastronomic experience.
Our tip:
Make sure your waiter explains each Sherry Wine to customers and why it pairs so well with the chosen dish.
5. Sherry Cocktails
For years Sherry Wines have been a key cocktail ingredient in the US – why not tickle your customers’ tastebuds with some innovative flavour combinations? Take a look at the recipes by mixologists from around the world on our website click here and experiment with creamy sweet concoctions; short, punchy numbers; or tall refreshing coolers. This year Certified Sherry Educator Chantal Tseng from Washington DC will design a new cocktail specifically for Sherry Week – watch this space!
Our tip:
Try a new take on old classics like the mojito and cosmopolitan.
