When I was in Madrid in the 1980s I ordered Manzanilla. A pot of chamomile tea arrived. I was reminded of this reading an article by Jancis Robinson in the FT Weekend Magazine.
Sanlúcar de Barrameda on the Guadalquivir river is where Manzanilla is brewed. I prefer it to Fino but if you like a schooner of either of these delectable wines prepare for a shock. Jancis reports that “the vineyards that used to line the road from Jerez to Sanlúcar de Barrameda … have disappeared. The total area of land planted with the Palomino Fino vine crucial to sherry production has shrunk by two-thirds since the early 1980s. Sherry exports are less than a fifth of what they were in 1979 … Spain is now consuming more sherry than the UK.”
It is a different story west of the Saône river in France. Mâcon-Villages has become ubiquitous as a good value Burgundy. There are about 10,000 acres planted with Chardonnay to satisfy our thirst for this safe but bland white wine. It is comparable in price to a Fino or Manzanilla which are much more interesting wines and go just as well with food. As usual The Wine Society offers the best value. Their Alegria Manzanilla comes with this tasting note:
After its initial garlanding as a Wine Champion last year, this intensely flavoured dry sherry from Williams and Humbert saw off many a more expensive rival yet again in 2016. Its characteristically characterful salty tang and striking length of flavour left our panel pining for olives, almonds and all manner of nibbles.
Now for the really good news. It costs just £8.50 a bottle. The Society’s White Burgundy costs £9.50.