Complicated Solera process
yields fine after-dinner sherry
This is the sixth in a seven-part series on wine by Fine
Arts staff member Larry Kubert.
by Larry Kubert
An evening is nearly over. Dinner has been served,
and as the dessert is being brought out now is the
time for the dessert wines and later the after dinner
wi nes.
Two dessert wines have been mentioned
earlier-sherry and Madeira. Both wines are fortified
and have versions which can be served as aperitifs in
addition to dessert wines.
The dessert versions of sherry are called oloroso
and are relatively heavy and dark. Sherry originated
in Spain, and with the possible exception of some
Californian sherry, it still is best from there.
Sherry is made through a blending process that
seems complicated. After allowing time for the
moisture in the grapes to evaporate, the grapes are
pressed, gypsum is added to increase acidity, and then
the wine is left to ferment for a period of about three
months.
Next, a white film or crust forms on the surface of
the wine. This film is really a fungus and is called flor.
By the amount of r7or, it is determined which sherries
will be aperitifs (thick, heavy or) and which will be
olorosos (thin and scanty flor). It seems strange, but
before this the wine maker doesn't know which will
be which.
The wines then are placed in fresh casks and
fortified with brandy, bringing the alcohol content up
to 18 per cent for the olorosos, and left to develop
another couple years. After this period of time, the
wine is blended with older and younger wines in a
process called Solera.
Naturally, there are no vintage years in sherry
since the Solera process makes it impossible and
unnecessary.
Madeira also is an aperitif and a dessert wine. Bual
and malmsey are the rich and full dessert wines in the
Madeira family.
The grapes are crushed, the juice extracted and
allowed to ferment for two to four weeks. Next the
wine is fortified with brandy and moved to a heated
room where it is cooked for a three to six month
period. After the heating, it is aged for about two
years before being fortified again to bring the alcohol
content up to 20 per cent. It finally is permitted to
mature-a process which takes an additional several
years.
Madeira is the longest living wine. According to
wine experts, Madeira as old as the 18th Century still
can be drunk without any loss of its quality.
Port can be considered a dessert wine or an
after-dinner wine to be eaten with nuts. Coming from
the town of Oporto in Portugal, there are two basic
kinds of port: vintage port and wood port. Vintage
port matures in bottles, wood port matures in
wooden casks.
Vintage port results when a certain grape year
looks extremely promising. The wine is selected,
fortified and kept in casks for two or three years.
Then it is refortif ted and bottled, and left to mature
for anywhere from 10 to 40 years.
Wood port is aged in wooden casks for eight to
twelve years, depending upon the color desired-ruby
red, less; tawny, longer. Wood port should be drunk
within six months of its bottling date.
Only Portugal can sell a bottle of port with only
the word "port" on the label. All other ports (which
are many, coming from California, South Africa,
Australia) must bear a qualifying name, such as
California port.
After the dessert and dessert wines, it is time for
the after-dinner drink. Brandy and liqueurs really are
not wines; but brandy uses a wine base. The name
brandy comes from a Dutch word, brandewijn,
meaning burned or distilled wine, which is exactly
what brandy is.
The world's best brandy comes from the Cognac
region of France and is called such. There are seven
grades of cognac. In descending order they: Grande
Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fin Bois,
Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires and Bois Communs. The
use of the word champagne simply refers to
"countryside" rather than the sparkling wine.
Cognac is distilled from the St. Emilion grape after
fermentation has stopped. Distillation continues for
several months, resulting in a double distillation. The
first distillation is called brouillis and produces a 50
proof wine. The second distillation, which is called la
bonne ,chauffe, is raw cognac and is about 135
proof. The raw cognac is barreled and allowed to age.
COLORADO UNIVERSITY.
BOULDER
Special Sandwiches prepared
for eating here or taking out.
Located upstairs at Tulagi's.
OPEN AT 10:00 A.M. ON
SATURDAY.
BEAT NEBRASKA ! ! I
2 WJiifctllrE Ail: g
13
Recycle
' '""in
LPH SLi
COUNTY JUDGE
MERITS REELECTION
Paid for by: John M. Gradwohl
UN-L Law College 304, Lincoln Nebr. 68508
Ufn
aT J ' Jt Vi
original works of graphic art etchings, lithographs,
by leading 20th century artists:
Pablo Picasso Johnny Fricdlacndcr Marc Chagall
Salvador Dali, Alexander ('aider Joan Miro
Georges Rouault Victor Vasarely and others.
THIS SATURDAY, NOV. 4th at 8:30 P.M.
RADISSON CORNHUSKER
13th & M Streets
Exhibition: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Admission Free
Prices as low as $15 All works custom framed.
Welcome Huskers!
While in Bouldor, Soo
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October 30 - November 4
TULAGI PRESENTS - "The World's
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After aging, the brandy is blended with other
brandies, allowed to mature and finally bottled.
Although brandy has no vintage year, cognac is rated
with stars according to its aging time. Three stars on a
label indicates five years in the cask; four stars
indicates six years; five stars means seven years.
Letters also are used to indicate age. V.O. means
very old; V.S.O. means very superior old; V.S.O.P.
means very superior old pale; E or X means extra; F
means quality and Q means quality.
Brandy is said to be at its best after 25 to 50
years-but these years should have been spent in
wooden casks rather than glass bottles.
Some famous names of cognac producers
producers are Hennessy, Martell, Hine, Otard and
Delamain.
There are other brandies outside of that which
come from the Cognac region. Two fine brandies are
armagnac, which retains a rather hard taste, and marc',
which, although widely drunk in Burgundy, is not so
good as cognac.
There are several types of fruit and plant liqueurs
which are made through infusion and percolation
techniques. Most people will recognize creme de
menthe, Benedictine, Chartreuse, Grand Marnier, but
since these liqueurs have a rather shakey connection
with wine, it might be best to pass them by until a
discussion of spirits. Suffice it to say, many of these
liqueurs are extremely appealing.
ASUN
finalizes
budget
ASUN Senate Wednesday
approved its 1972-73 budget
with the minimun affirmative
votes required.
Jnly a few changes were
made in the ASUN Budget
Committee's recommendations
after executives met last
weekend with Ken Bader, vice
chancellor of student affairs,
and James Zumberge, UNL
chancellor.
Zumberge recommended
the budget be cut by $1,000,
reducing the total to
$40,134.41. The $1,000 was to
have provided student funds
for the campus ombudsman,
Zumbergo recommended that
student fees still help fund the
ombudsman but that those fees
not go through student
government.
Other changes
recommended by the
chancellor include increasing
the budget for Student Services
from $2,050 to $3,050 to
provide day care and child care
center support. Zumberge also
recommended cutting the
Contingency Fund budget
from $4,000 to $3,000.
In other senate business, the
body unanimously passed a
deadweek policy proposed by
the Center for Educational
Change (CEC). The policy
establishes a two-day period
between the end of classes and
beginning of finals during
which no classes will be held
and no finals will be given.
- Unaxcuted abioncat: Cindy
. Mapoi, Co Msg of Art and Stientei
thursday, november 2, 1972
daily nebraskan
page 9