As an aperitif, on its own, or accompanying tapas, sherry is one of the most universal and most famous wines. And although the organoleptic nuances that make Fino different from Manzanilla are minimal, we are going to look at the differences. We can tell you in advance that the key lies in the production area and the ageing process.
What is fino
Fino, known throughout the world, is one of the emblems of the Jerez region and legally protected under the Denomination of Origin “Jerez-Xérès-Sherry”. Produced exclusively in the Jerez Albariza lands, it is a dry white wine that comes exclusively from the Palomino Fino variety and develops a thin veil of flor during the ageing process that takes place in American oak casks and following the traditional solera and criaderas system.
What is Manzanilla?
Manzanilla is one of the most exclusive wines of the Marco de Jerez. White and dry, this wine made with the Palomino Fino variety and aged under a veil of flor, has its own designation of origin “Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda”. The peculiarity of Manzanilla is that it is produced exclusively in the coastal wineries of Sanlúcar de Barrameda since it is the only place where the necessary conditions for its correct development are given.
Differences between fino and manzanilla
As for the differences between Fino and Manzanilla, there are not as many as we might think, and we can really refer to 3 key factors: the terroir or place where each one is made the winery, and the biological aging or veil of flor.
Place of production and climate: Manzanilla, only in Sanlúcar
One of the determining differences is the place and the climate under which each one is made. While in Sanlúcar the maritime climate is more humid and temperate for the production of manzanilla, in Jerez the production of fino is carried out under a continental and much drier climate. So, in Sanlúcar, the veil of flor is present throughout the year and is also much thicker, making the manzanilla slightly paler than the fino as it is more isolated from oxygen. Due to the extreme temperatures in Jerez both in winter and summer, the veil of flor is much thinner, sometimes almost disappearing.
The albarizas are the predominant soils in which vineyards are grown to obtain sherry, and they are also the ones that produce the best wines. Poor in chemical compounds and nutrients, the advantage that albarizas have is their great capacity to retain moisture, a fundamental characteristic for the development of the plant, since in addition to storing winter rain, it acts as a sponge, conserving moisture and nourishing the plant during the long summer months.
Another fundamental aspect of the terrain is that the albarizas, being light in colour, reflect the sun’s rays and encourage the complete ripening of the grape, increasing its proportion of sugars and allowing for homogeneous ripening.
The dominant winds in the area, known as Poniente and Levante, do the rest. During the hot months of July and August, the Poniente blows, a humid wind coming from the Atlantic that acts on the vines at night, providing them with tiny drops of dew, thus preventing the vines from reaching excessively high temperatures. For its part, the dry and hot wind from Levante, promotes the accumulation of sugars in the grapes, which, in addition to ripening them uniformly, prevents them from rotting.
The veil of flower, thicker and more persistent in chamomile
In addition to environmental conditions and the work of the winemakers, there is a key factor in the transformation of the must into sherry wine, which in turn makes the difference between fino and manzanilla: the so-called veil of flor. The veil of flor is a layer of yeasts or microorganisms that forms on the surface of the wine when it rests in the barrel. These microorganisms or yeasts that form the veil of flor are responsible for giving these wines a truly unique character.
The musts classified with a dash (/) are clean on the nose and suitable for the production of fino and manzanilla. It is at this point that wine brandy is added to these musts and they are left to rest in 600-liter American oak barrels that are filled five-six times, leaving an air chamber for the biological ageing process to begin under a veil of yeast.
In the Sanlúcar de Barrameda wineries where Manzanilla is made, there are specific strains that are only found in their casks and that need proximity to the sea and the sea breeze to thrive. This is how, thanks to the mild climate, the veil of flor thickens and remains throughout the year, giving the wine that unique saline and iodine nuance.
In contrast, in the Jerez de la Frontera wineries where Fino is produced, due to the greater distance from the coast and totally different climatic conditions, the veil of flor is much thinner, to the point of almost disappearing. This results in a much smoother and more full-bodied wine.
It is not surprising that the British writer and traveller Richard Ford called the wineries cathedral-cellars, as they are large, gloomy buildings with thick walls and high windows to promote air circulation. In addition, as they mostly have albero floors that are usually irrigated, the optimal conditions are generated to regulate the temperature inside the winery. It is in these spaces where the magical transformation of the juice of the Palomino Fino grape into sherry takes place, and where we also see the second clear distinction between Fino and Manzanilla.
Grape varieties used: Manzanilla, only with Palomino Fino
Manzanilla from Sanlúcar de Barrameda is made using only Palomino Fino. Fino can also be made with Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel. Although the predominant variety for the production of Jerez wines is Palomino Fino, which occupies almost 95% of the land, the Regulatory Council indicates that wine varieties such as Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel, both traditional in the Jerez region, are suitable.
The Palomino Fino is one of the oldest varieties cultivated in the area. It is the most important variety in the production of Jerez wines such as Fino and Manzanilla and is also the only variety used in the production of Manzanilla from Sanlúcar. Although it can be grown in other lands, it is in the lands of the Albarizas of Jerez where it produces these magnificent and unique wines. The Palomino Fino, grown on trellises, is a white variety with large leaves and semi-creeping shoots. Its numerous bunches are wide, long, and full of medium-sized grapes, with thin skin and a yellowish-green hue.
Another variety within the Marco de Jerez that is also cultivated in other areas of Andalusia is Pedro Ximénez, a grape that is characterized by its high sugar content and its higher level of acidity. Although it is not the most common, fine wines have been produced with this grape variety for some years now.
Moscatel, originally from Africa, this grape is used to make wines of the same name and which correspond to the Chipiona area, producing one of the highest quality sweet wines in the world.
Organoleptic differences: fino is dry, manzanilla is saline
Fino is a bright straw-yellow or golden hue, a wine with a sharp and delicate aroma on the nose, with slight hints of almonds, notes of fresh bread dough and country herbs. On the palate it is dry, delicate and light. And in the aftertaste the almond flavours persist, leaving behind a pleasant sensation of freshness. It is extraordinary to serve as an aperitif, since thanks to its extraordinary capacity to stimulate the taste buds, it is one of the best ways to prepare the palate to enjoy a good meal.
Manzanilla, on the other hand, is a very pale wine with a straw-yellow hue. It has a sharp and delicate aroma, with floral notes and bakery aromas. It is a very dry wine on the palate, saline, fresh and delicate. Its slight acidity creates a pleasant sensation of freshness with a persistent and slightly bitter aftertaste. It is ideal to drink alone as an aperitif, or as an accompaniment to all kinds of tapas. Although it combines best with all kinds of flavours from the sea.
The solera and criaderas system
It is under the solera and criaderas system that the old wines transmit their best qualities to the younger ones when they are blended. To do this, the butts are lined up in rows of various heights, with the one closest to the ground, known as the solera, containing the oldest wine. A quantity of wine (always less than a third) is extracted from the barrels in the solera to be bottled, and is replaced by the same quantity of wine from the butts in the row immediately above, called the first criadera. This butt, in turn, is filled with wine from the second, the second with wine from the third, and so on until reaching the solera. It is during this process that the young wines acquire the best qualities of the old ones.