“The destiny of a thousand generations is concentrated in each drop. If the cares of the world overwhelm you, only taste it pilgrim, and you will swear that heaven is on Earth.” — Pedro Antonio de Alarcon on sherry. Many of us probably do not have this perception but the truth is that this unique, fortified with alcohol, Spanish wine is once again on the move and gaining in popularity.With this in mind, we have just added a few to what had been a very limited selection.The most unique thing about sherry is the way it is aged in a “solera”. Let's say that you start with eight barrels in a row and you add a row of seven on top of these, then six, then five and so on. The final collection looks triangle-like, and each year a percentage of the wine is drawn from the bottom row to be put in bottles. Wine is then drawn from the second row up and placed in the first, then drawn from the third row and placed in the second and so on until you get to the top barrel to which you add the new wine of that year. The effect of the solera is that the older wine “teaches” the younger wine, and the sherry taken each year from the bottom of eight stacked rows is an average of eight years old; some younger and some much older. The wine is also of consistent quality as good, average and even poor years are all averaged together.We buy our sherry from Gonzalez Byass. The company makes an extensive range, the best known being a “fino” called Tio Pepe, from Palamino grapes. Fino is dry and although the laws requires a minimum of two years' ageing, most are bottled older than that; Tio Pepe is aged for approximately four. During its time in American oak barrels it ages under “flor”, which is a layer of yeast that forms on the surface. The custom is to not completely fill the barrels, so air reacts with the wine, but in the case of fino this layer of yeast protects the contents from oxygenation. The result is a pale straw colour and a pungent, yet delicate almond aroma. Tio Pepe is dry and light on the palate and best served about 45°F. Try it with shellfish, Spanish ham or a mild cheese. $18.85.Gonzalez Byass Vina AB Amontillado is a fairly light style of dry amontillado that begins the first four years of life under a veil of flor and another four without flor. In the latter period it turns a deep yellow colour and becomes elegant with fresh stone fruit aromatics and just a hint of the wood influence. The tangy palate is of dried orange and almonds. Basically this is Tio Pepe with much more barrel age. Decanter magazine writes about “glorious walnuts and salted caramel on the nose. Powerful and elegant orange fruit with a tight menthol aspect on the finish that is a lovely pure expression of Amontillado”. $18.85I should mention that Gonzales Byass was included in a list published by Wine & Spirits of the top 100 wineries in the world for 2015; they rated sixth overall. What a feat!If you are having red meats or game, then Gonzalez Byass suggests their Alfonso Oloroso that we sell for $18.85. This is made from Palomino grapes that spend an average of eight years in barrel where the wine takes on a golden amber colour, a touch of vanilla and a reminder of nuts.Gonzalez Byass Nectar Pedro Ximenez is, as the name states, made from Spanish grapes called Perdo Ximenez that are picked when very ripe and sweet. The juice only partly ferments in stainless steel tanks due to its high sugar content, and then it is fortified before being placed in the solera, where it remains for about nine years. As there is no flor to cover the liquid in the barrels, the reaction with air turns it a very dark and intense mahogany colour. The final product demonstrates very sweet aromas of raisins and caramel with slight hints of American oak. With a long and vibrant finish it is a dessert in itself, but it is exquisite over fruit salad or with dried fruits and nuts. Even try it with ice cream or chocolate. $21.75. • This column is a paid for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or 295-0176. Burrows Lightbourn have stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George's (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits is available online at www.wineonline.bm