sherry Fortified wines (around 15% alcohol by volume) from the south‐west of Spain, around Jerez and Cadiz. Matured by the solera process rather than by discrete vintages; each year 30% of the wine in the oldest barrel is drawn off for bottling and replaced with wine from the next oldest; this in turn is replaced from the next barrel, and so on.

In order of increasing sweetness, sherries are: fino (very dry); manzanilla; amontillado; oloroso (may be medium‐dry or sweetened and more highly fortified); amoroso or cream. Dry sherry contains 1–2% sugar and 100 mL supplies 120 kcal (500 kJ); medium sherry, 3–4% sugar, supplies 125 kcal (530 kJ); sweet sherry, 7% sugar, supplies 140 kcal (590 kJ).

Sherry‐type wines are also produced in other countries, including South Africa, Cyprus, and Britain (made from imported grape juice) and may legally be described as sherry as long as the country of origin is clearly shown.

sher·ry / ˈsherē/ • n. (pl. -ries) a fortified wine originally and mainly from southern Spain, often drunk as an aperitif.

sherry still white wine of a type orig. made near Xerez (now Jerez), a town in Andalusia, Spain. XVI. alt. of sherris (XVI), apprehended as a pl. or derived from sherris sack (see SACK2), i.e. Sherries, repr. old pronunc. of Xerez.

sherry Fortified wine with a characteristic raisiny flavour produced by a special method of vinification and expert blending. Drier apéritif sherries include fino, manzanilla, and amontillado; sweeter, dessert sherries include oloroso, amoroso, golden, and cream. True sherry comes from Jerez, s Spain.