The Unknown Winecaster Thanks man! Can’t match you for detail, but I can Flamenco music and pretty tapas ;) Salud sir!

Believe me, if there's anything I need more of in my life, it's Flamenco. Hey, question for you. What happens to a barrel in a Fino/Manzanilla solera when its flor dies. From everything I've read, the flor's not immortal -- dies in about 7 years. So, for example, if a barrel in the 2nd criadera, say, has its flor die, what's the protocol? Is the wine reassigned to barrels in the same solera with a new barrel swapped in or is the barrel moved to an oloroso solera and then you swap one in or does something else happened that I haven't imagined? I guess what I'm really asking is how do you keep the number of barrels in each criadera (and the solera row) stable given that some of them will lose their flor over time. No rush to answer, but I have to admit, the question has kept me up at night. Thanks in advance and salud!

I'd like to know the answer aswell! 😗 Great question! 🍷🙋

Ah! Missed this! Right. So here's my two cents. Fino/Manazanilla - wine in the barrel, flor on top. Happy Days. If the wine prematurely dies, which is as far as I understand basically not a thing that occurs very often, but isn't ruined, and has started to oxidise more, this gives rise to the rare Palo Cortado style of sherry. Those barrels are then I guess 'out' completely and will be kept aside to be aged and bottled as that style. A key point seems to be that the constant blending of the solera system helps keep the yeast layer alive so that there 'shouldn't' be a 'random' barrel or two to have to swap in. After the 7ish years of life, should the flor die naturally, presumably it's most of the barrels in this case - 'at the same time', your fino/manzanilla starts its Amontillado journey. Your Oloroso, never experiencing any of the 'biological' ageing with yeast, is able to just tinker away and oxidise in the corner like an old drunk. So really the barrel number is only a question of fino/manzanillas changing to amontillado due to the yeast dying. These bodegas have hundreds and thousands of barrels so I presume it's 'part of the process' to have some barrels turn early to oxidise (Palo Cortado) and then some selected fino/manzanilla barrels to carry on and oxidise when the yeast naturally dies (or by adding more alcohol at the behest of the winemakers) and becomes and Amontillado. This is as much as I've come up with haha. Hope it helps!

Underneath The Bottle Thanks so much man! Took a lot of work and self abuse but it was worth it haha

Ben Green Thanks you sir. You are a scholar and a gent. I think my body and my bank account needs a break but I am harbouring ham-based dreams.

Thanks! Long love the sherry drinkers!

Stuart Jones Thanks so much man; it means a lot. It really does! I’d love to do a cider one! Next time I head north that’s on the list. Planning a potential ham one at the moment.

Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed it :)

Deborah Musgrove Thanks Debs!!

Made in Coatbridge My pleasure! Thanks for commenting. I think my liver has crawled away and died in a corner by now :D Nothing wrong with a well made cream!

Ha I’d say that! I’m sure it will be ready for another foray into the world of Sherry and Spanish wine. Your videos from the continent class too, enjoyed the Austria video with the ceramic tankard place👌🏻 tried Palo Cortado for the first time a few weeks ago out of Morrisons in the uk, amazing!!

Made in Coatbridge Ah Thanks! I’m glad you saw them. Yeah, supermarkets are pretty good for Sherry. Check out the M&S and Waitrose own labels: they are made by the great Bodegas.

bcg_wine Thanks very much!

N_I_T_W_I_T Haha, Cheers man.

I think that Frasier and Niles drinking sherry was more of a prop to highlight their snobbism (at the expense of the sherry). Throughout the series here and there they drop bits of knowledge about wine and Scotch, even Armagnac gets a mention, but never sherry. And they drink it from completely wrong stemware. 😎 I have yet to meet a person who is into sherry.

My pleasure!

Juan Andaré huidobro Muchas gracias Juan! Esto ha sido un proyecto de amor además.

Se ve que te gusta mucho España.....lo haces muy bien

Khanate of the Mind Anen to that!