This summer I've been traveling between our offices in Shanghai and Taipei and visiting Hong Kong. All three cities are very HOT and there's no better way to cool down than with a nice glass of well-chilled Manzanilla or Fino. I am very encouraged by the feedback from many of the Chinese food and beverage professionals who have attended our summer Sherry training courses and who enthusiastically concur with me about Sherry as the perfect summer drink. In July, we published a new version of the Sherry Primer with an expanded section highlighting wonderful Sherry Chinese dishes pairings. I am very excited about the potential of Sherry to be the ideal partner for many Chinese dishes. If you want a copy of the new primer please feel free to contact us and don't forget to cool down by making this a Sherry Summer!

For me the sherry wine is something that reminds the feeling of being on a sunny afternoon on the south of Spain, eating some tapas and having a nice chat with some friends, something to join around it, a wine to enjoy together. The taste is like if you were drinking the essence of Andalucía, compressed on a few drops of this outstanding wine, a piece of history. The color use to be something that remind us the old barrels that Spanish people use to create this gem, mixing the best natural products with the best ancient knowledge, accompanied by the passion that will make this mixture becomes something almost magical.

Definitely one of the most complex and interesting wines in the world, this wine can help the chef to create amazing recipes or become the perfect match to join many different products and shift our palates to the infinite......The smell bring to my memory the spirit of Andalucía, in Spain we use to call it "el duende" (the goblin), that magic feeling that you will only found there, surrounded by the aroma of a Jerez winery, having one of this precious wines and enjoying the silence meanwhile your feelings analyze it, carrying you into another world. Thanks god for this precious gift.

Japan, where the Consejo Regulador and Fedejerez have been developing a comprehensive and stable program of promotional activities, is fast becoming a market with great potential for Sherry and Manzanilla. This is one of the conclusions reached during the “Japan’s Wine Market: Opportunities and Risks for Spanish Wines” seminar, organized by the Institute for International Commerce (ICEX) and held in Jerez at the beginning of April.

Alfonso Carbajo, the Economic and Commercial Adviser to Spain in Tokyo, highlighted the great opportunities offered by a market with 127 million people, the world´s second economy, in which Spanish products are increasing their market share. Carbajo underlined the high level of sophistication and education of the Japanese, who pay special attention to excellence, and the fact that Japan has the best international cuisine: in fact, Tokyo is now the city with the highest number of Michelin stars on the planet, having received three times as many as Paris.

Meanwhile, Cheko Konagaya, a market analyst from Spain’s Economic and Commercial Office in Tokyo, underlined the increasing presence of Spanish wines in a market which is at the moment dominated by French and Italian wines. Spain is currently the fourth biggest importer in Japan, ahead of Germany and Australia, and is clearly growing in importance. Although Sherry has played a significant role in this trend, there is still much to be done to bring the country to the level of consumption of the main Sherry markets, such as the United Kingdom or Spain itself.

Kunio Bansho, of Tokyo’s Wands magazine, offered the people attending the seminar some of the key aspects associated with wine trade and consumer trends in Japan, anticipating a promising future for Fino and Manzanilla, thanks to their great capacity of combination with both Chinese and Japanese cuisines. Bansho also explained that wine culture is becoming a subject of increasing interest in a country where the historic preference for sake and beer is slowly leaving more space to new trends and products.

In collaboration with the main associations of sommeliers, bartenders, and hotel barmen, Sherry has, over the past few years, been developing an intense program of promotional activities throughout Japan, featuring the Official Venenciadores Competition, tastings, seminars and lectures. Indeed, Japan’s increasing interest in Spanish, and particularly Andalucía, culture and wine, together with the special affinity of our wines to their gastronomy, are significant factors for the future growth of sherry in that market.

Organized by Sherry Wine Association—Taipei and Sherry Wine Association—Shanghai, with co-organizer EnjoyGourmet, the “Spanish Sherry Wine In-House Training” took place in Taipei, Hangzhou, and Shanghai in July, 2009. This year’s participating hotels are The Landis Taipei Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel Hangzhou, JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai, respectively, and all the supervisor and related staff of the F&B department attended enthusiastically. Through the lively and humorous introduction by John H. Isacs, CEO of EnjoyGourmet Digital & Print Media, all the participants were able to obtain a better knowledge about the history, method of making, tasting technique and food pairing of Sherry wines. After the attendees have tasted five types of Sherry from dry to sweet, John also shared some valuable tips on how to pair Sherry wine with Asian food and answered questions during Q&A time. Everyone took notes seriously and their satisfaction showed the success of the event.

• Region: Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain
• Variety: 100% Palomino
• Alcohol: 15%
• Comment: Pale gold color, the Fino has a delicate yeast aroma and clean nose, marked by dried fruit and hints of the sea, with pleasant, lasting finish.
• Serving & Food Pairing: Serve at 8˚C; nice as an aperitif, it also goes well with kinds of seafood, sashimi, sushi, and cold Chinese appetizers including drunken chicken.
• Aging Method: Criaderas y Solera System

• Region: Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain
• Variety: 100% Moscatel
• Alcohol: 18%
• Comment: Sweet, dark mahogany-colored wine. It has a velvety palate and an intense aroma characteristic of Moscatel grapes while the clean finish heightens the whole taste experience.
• Serving & Food Pairing: Serve about 8~10˚C; match with all types of desserts, including cakes, cookies and fruits, or with blue cheeses.
• Aging Method: Criaderas y Solera System

Another Chinese savory dumpling dish, this one a spicy treat from Sichuan, meets another synergistic partner in the beautifully made Bodegas Barbadillo, Solear Manzanilla as this bone dry, clean and slightly salty flavored Sherry cuts through the oil and slightly fatty elements of this dish and embellishes the savory flavor of the meat while soothing the spicy and numb mouth feel.

Ingredients:

．1 small cup of stock