Stray''s of Newark - Great food but no Fino

My wife and I went to a family meal recently at Stray's of Newark. This is a fine old establishment in a fine market town.

Stray's specialises in Tapas and they have music performances. So what better way to spend a hot Friday night eating Spanish food and listening to some jazz with the family.

The menu had a wide selection of food but no Fino. I was a little bit surprised by this as Fino and Tapas are like Siamese twins that should never be separated. Fino or Manzanilla Sherry is the life blood of a Spanish Tapas bar.

When I spoke to the manager he told me that there is no demand for Fino - so why keep stocks of wine which will never be drunk and which should be drunk as young as possible. It did not make economic sense so point taken.

Fino is one of the finest wines and it has a completely distinctive style. It has a light to medium body with a complex flavour of nuts and yeast with a hint of acetaldehyde. It is a completely dry wine because the method of production encourages the growth of yeast or Flor on the surface of the wine in the cask. This Flor consumes any remaining sugar left over from fermentation and any glycerine in the wine.

The development of Flor in Sherry is a random and natural process which only occurs in the Jerez region of Spain. This combined with the Albariza soil and the Palomino grape variety produces one of the world's best fortified wines.

Anyone who does not drink Fino with their Tapas is missing out on a wonderful food and wine combination. Fino goes well with the whole range of Spanish food. It even handles food which is strong in garlic.

Millions of British people go to Spain for their holidays every year. Surely, some of you must have discovered Fino and Tapas or did you all stick to Omelette and Chips and Fosters?


I urge all food lovers to order Fino the next time you go to a Spanish restaurant or even to the wine bar down the road. It is great to drink at home as an aperitif and no-one who I know who likes wine has ever refused a second glass unless they were driving.

If there is no demand then bar owners will not stock it. You should always drink Fino chilled and the younger the wine is bottled the better. Because the wine is fractionally blended from different years in a Solera system there can be no vintage.

http://www.strayscoffee.co.uk/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jan/19/sherry-guide-beginners-wine-spain