HAVE A SHERRY CHRISTMAS!

(Article - as seen in Somerset Living Food & Drink - Dec 2018 Issue pg. 45)

In the run-up to Christmas, victims of our global lifestyle, many of us will be giving our homes a quick ‘spring clean’ in readiness for those friends and family visitors that we see just once or twice a year. 

Being single, I can happily do what I please, without the angst of deciding who to offend, or not, by choosing to spend the festive season with one set of relatives or the other. 

It is no coincidence that the holiday season is renowned for its excess. Despite my best efforts I usually succumb to the lure of the glittery treats that festoon the shops. Being in the food and wine business, my natural focus is on the grub and the booze. 

Which brings me round to the subject of sherry; you know, that dusty bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream at the back of the drinks cupboard, which only sees the light of day when relatives of a ‘certain age’ make an appearance. 

Well, it’s time to think again. Firstly, throw out those diddly little sherry schooners, filled to the brim with barely a mouthful to drink. Sherry is a wine, albeit a fortified one, and deserves to be treated as such, so use a decent-sized wine glass with enough room to give it a swirl and a sniff before you drink. 

John Harvey & Sons was granted a royal warrant as supplier of fine wine to Queen Victoria in 1895 and has supplied the royal household with sherry ever since. I reckon, if it is good enough for Her Majesty, then it’s good enough for me. It remains the nation’s biggest selling sherry, with sales approaching 250,000 bottles per year. 

Created in 1796, and originally bottled in Bristol, Harvey’s Bristol Cream is a blend of Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez Sherries; a unique product which has clearly withstood the test of time, whilst also learning to respond to changing tastes. 

Earlier this year, Harvey’s refreshed The Bristol Cream bottle and label. In addition to bringing the design bang up-to-date, the bottle now features a thermochromic ink logo that turns blue when it reaches the perfect serving temperature. 

This feature is designed to encourage consumers to re-think the way that they drink Harvey’s Bristol Cream, by chilling the sherry in the fridge. 

At around £10 a litre, it is a great value sherry that has long since shed its old-fashioned image. It is full of toasty, nutty, raisiny flavours, making it great as a mixer too. 

During my recent three-day visit to the ‘Sherry Academy’ in Jerez – during which I sampled over 60 Sherries – Harvey’s Bristol Cream was served well-chilled as an aperitif, on the rocks, with a slice of orange. Delicious and refreshing. 

So, this festive season, stock up on a bottle or two, and experiment. Here are a few tipples to tickle the taste buds.