Glassware

A balloon glass, the kind used for a full-bodied red wine, would be the wrong choice for a Fino. Its aromas are quiet — almond, chamomile, a hint of salt. In a wide bowl they would dissipate before ever reaching the nose.

At the bar in Jerez and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, people therefore reach for a narrow, tall glass whose rim curves slightly inward, concentrating the delicate aromas instead of scattering them. This glass is called a Catavino; a smaller everyday version of it, the Copita, sits on every tapas bar table in the area.

When it comes to temperature, Fino and Manzanilla clearly part ways from the rest of the family: seven to nine degrees Celsius is right, fridge-cold like a white wine, so the delicate yeast aromas don't get lost in alcoholic warmth. Oloroso, Amontillado and Palo Cortado, on the other hand, can handle twelve to fifteen degrees. Serve them too cold and you shut down exactly the roasted and nutty notes you're drinking them for.

Shelf life after opening also differs sharply, which surprises many people. An opened Fino keeps for at most a week in the fridge, after which its delicate freshness fades fast. An Oloroso, by contrast, was already exposed to air for decades before bottling, so it keeps much longer — weeks, and a Pedro Ximénez even months.

In any case, only a small amount is poured, barely more than a splash of water. A wine with fifteen percent alcohol and an intense aroma doesn't need a full glass to make its point. And if the wine was drawn from the barrel with a Venencia and poured from a height beforehand, it's already been given plenty of air.