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42-485: The Select Society initially had fifteen members, who included: By the end of its first year, The Select Society had eighty three members. Some years later, some of the members established The Poker Club . Their mission was articulated in The Scots Magazine in 1755: "The intention of these gentlemen was, by practice to improve themselves in reasoning and eloquence, and by the freedom of debate, to discover

84-466: A solera system before bottling so that bottles of sherry will not usually carry a specific vintage year and can contain a small proportion of very old wine. Sherry is regarded by some wine writers as "underappreciated" and a "neglected wine treasure". Jerez has been a centre of viniculture since wine-making was introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians in 1100 BCE. The practice was carried on by

126-573: A convivial atmosphere. The Poker Club was created in 1762 out of the ashes of The Select Society . The Poker was the name given to the Militia Club at its third or fourth meeting. The Militia was formed in Edinburgh to promote the cause of establishing a militia in Scotland . It was thought that the formation of a democratic national force was essential to grace the dignity of

168-441: A darker colour. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, most sherries are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later. Despite the common misconception that sherry is a sweet drink, most varieties are dry. In contrast, port wine is fortified halfway through its fermentation, which stops the process so that not all of the sugar is turned into alcohol. Wines from different years are aged and blended using

210-646: A light filtration, and often a selection of a favored barrel from a larger solera. Such sherries can be considerably more complex in flavour than the standard bottlings, and, according to many, are worth seeking out. In order to allow the sale of reliable average age-dated sherries, the regulating council has set up a system that accurately tracks the average age of the wines as they move through their solera. Two average age-dated categories are recognized: VOS ('Vinum Optimum Signatum' – 20 years old average age minimum) and VORS ('Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum' – 30 years old average age minimum). Sherry-seasoned casks are sold to

252-685: Is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versions similar to white table wines, such as Manzanilla and fino , to darker and heavier versions that have been allowed to oxidise as they age in barrel, such as Amontillado and oloroso . Sweet dessert wines are also made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes, and are sometimes blended with Palomino-based sherries. Under

294-580: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an organisation in Scotland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to Edinburgh , Scotland , is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . The Poker Club The Poker Club was one of several clubs at the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment where many associated with that movement met and exchanged views in

336-582: Is complete, the base wines are fortified with grape spirit to increase their final alcohol content . Wines classified as suitable for aging as fino and Manzanilla are fortified until they reach a total alcohol content of 15.5 percent by volume. As they age in a barrel, they develop a layer of flor —a yeast -like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation. Those wines that are classified to undergo aging as oloroso are fortified to reach an alcohol content of at least 17 per cent. They do not develop flor and so oxidise slightly as they age, giving them

378-553: Is mostly used for Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes. The benefit of the albariza soil is that it can reflect sunlight back up to the vine, aiding it in photosynthesis . The nature of the soil is very absorbent and compact so it can retain and maximize the use of the little rainfall that the Jerez region receives. Before the phylloxera infestation in 1894, there were estimated to be over one hundred varieties of grape used in Spain for

420-484: Is stated. Sherry is aged in the solera for a minimum of two years. A large solera system may consist of scales that require more than one barrel to hold. The word 'solera' means 'on the ground'; this refers to the stacking system that was, and sometimes still is, used, with the youngest barrels at the top and the oldest scale, also somewhat ambiguously called 'the solera', at the bottom. Of late, sherry producers and marketers have been bottling their wines en rama , with only

462-573: The Romans when they took control of Iberia around 200 BCE. The Moors conquered the region in 711 CE and introduced distillation , which led to the development of brandy and fortified wine. During the Moorish period, the town was called Sherish (a transliteration of the Arabic شريش ), from which both sherry and Jerez are derived. Wines similar in style to sherry have traditionally been made in

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504-497: The Scotch whisky industry for use in aging whisky . Other spirits and beverages may also be aged in used sherry casks. Contrary to what most people think, these sherry-seasoned casks are specifically prepared for the whisky industry, they are not the same as the old (and largely inactive) butts used for the maturation of sherry. Once bottled, sherry does not generally benefit from further aging and may be consumed immediately, though

546-486: The Sherry Triangle , an area in the province of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda , and El Puerto de Santa María . In 1933 the Jerez denominación de origen was the first Spanish denominación to be officially recognised in this way, officially named D.O. Jerez-Xeres-Sherry and sharing the same governing council as D.O. Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda . After fermentation

588-649: The bung hole , withdraws a measure of sherry which is then ceremoniously poured from a head height into a copita held in the other hand. Various types are often mixed with lemonade (and usually ice). This long drink is now called Rebujito . A similar drink in the Victorian era was the sherry cobbler , shaken and served over shaved ice. Many literary figures have written about sherry, including William Shakespeare , Benito Pérez Galdós , and Edgar Allan Poe (in his story " The Cask of Amontillado "). Brothers Frasier and Niles Crane frequently consume sherry on

630-409: The mitad y mitad is mixed with the younger sherry to the proper proportions. This two-stage procedure is performed so the strong alcohol will not shock the young sherry and spoil it. The fortified wine is stored in 500-litre casks made of North American oak , which is more porous than French or Spanish oak. The casks, or butts , are filled five-sixths full, leaving "the space of two fists" empty at

672-403: The segunda yema , will be used for Oloroso; the product of additional pressings is used for lesser wines, distillation, and vinegar . The must is then fermented in stainless steel vats until the end of November, producing a dry white wine with 11–12 per cent alcohol content. Previously, the fermentation and initial aging were done in wood; now it is almost exclusively done in stainless steel, with

714-681: The Assassin, Andrew Crosbie and the Assassin’s Assessor, David Hume "without whose assent nothing could be done, so that between "plus" and "minus" there was likely to be no bloodshed". The minute book of 1776 names forty three members, including Joseph Black , "Jupiter" Carlyle , Sir John Clerk of Eldin , Henry Dundas , Adam Ferguson , Lord Elibank , Sir John Dalrymple , John Hume, David Hume , William Robertson , John Robison , George Dempster , and Adam Smith . Sherry Sherry (Spanish: jerez [xeˈɾeθ] )

756-503: The Boat People': Dr MacClintock, the slow-speaking, Edinburgh-bred quack to whom my wife, Hilda turns in times of sickness, took a generous gulp of the sherry she always pours him when he visits our mansion flat, (It's lucky that all his N.H.S. patients aren't so generous or the sick of Gloucester Road would be tended by a reeling medico, yellow about the gills and sloshed on amontillado.) The historic sherry cellars have given rise to

798-539: The EU must come from the triangular area of the province of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera , Sanlúcar de Barrameda , and El Puerto de Santa María . However, the name "sherry" is used as a semi-generic in the United States where it must be labeled with a region of origin such as American sherry or California sherry. However, such wines cannot be exported to the EU. Both Canadian and Australian winemakers now use

840-679: The Jerez cellars were founded by British families. In 1894 the Jerez region was devastated by the insect phylloxera . Whereas larger vineyards were replanted with resistant vines, most smaller producers were unable to fight the infestation and abandoned their vineyards entirely. On 12 April 2012, the rules applicable to the sweet and fortified Denominations of Origen Montilla-Moriles and Jerez-Xérès-Sherry were changed to prohibit terms such as "Rich Oloroso", "Sweet Oloroso" and "Oloroso Dulce". Such wines are to be labelled as "Cream Sherry: Blend of Oloroso / Amontillado" or suchlike. The classification by sweetness is: Spanish producers have registered

882-501: The TV sitcom Frasier . In the UK television show Yes Minister , Jim Hacker frequently drinks sherry with Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Woolley in his office. Sherry, and Amontillado specifically, is heavily featured in season 3, episode 10 of Monty Python's Flying Circus . Sherry is frequently mentioned in the novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy , and plays an important role in

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924-481: The city of Shiraz in mid-southern Iran, but it is thought unlikely that the name derives from there. Wine production continued through five centuries of Muslim rule. In 966, Al-Hakam II , the second Caliph of Córdoba , ordered the destruction of the vineyards, but the inhabitants of Jerez appealed on the grounds that the vineyards also produced raisins to feed the empire's soldiers, and the Caliph spared two-thirds of

966-468: The club collapsed, Adam Smith said, "Divided counsels and diminished zeal supply, no doubt, the main reason for the decay of the Poker Club," but he also mentioned the rising costs to members. The club was said by Dr. Carlyle to consist of all the literati of Edinburgh and its surroundings. The establishment was frugal and moderate, "as that for all clubs for a public purpose should be. The dinner

1008-445: The end of the series, only a portion of the final barrel is bottled and sold. Depending on the type of wine, the portion moved may be between five and thirty percent of each barrel. This process is called "running the scales" because each barrel in the series is called a scale. Thus, the age of the youngest wine going in the bottle is determined by the number of barrels in the series, and every bottle also contains some much older wine than

1050-454: The exception of one or two high-end wines. Immediately after fermentation, the wine is sampled and the first classification is performed. The casks are marked with the following symbols according to the potential of the wine: The sherry is fortified using destilado , made by distilling wine, usually from La Mancha . The distilled spirit is first mixed with mature sherry to make a 50/50 blend known as mitad y mitad (half and half), and then

1092-662: The following meeting at which a vote of three-fourths was needed to confirm the membership. In 1755 the Select Society founded a subsidiary body: the Edinburgh Society for Encouraging Arts, Sciences, Manufactures, and Agriculture in Scotland . The society was not the only one of its kind in Edinburgh, with The Speculative Society performing a similar role. Members of the society would go on to be involved with Edinburgh's convivial societies, such as The Poker Club . This Scottish history -related article

1134-403: The most effectual methods of promoting the good of the country." A member would pose a question for debate during the following meeting. Meetings were held on Wednesday nights from 6 PM to 9 PM 12 November – 12 August. To become a member, one needed to be recommended in writing by two current members. If more than one name was up for consideration, members voted and the majority name made it to

1176-431: The most fragile types of sherry and should usually be drunk soon after opening, in the same way as unfortified wines. In Spain, Finos are often sold in half bottles, with any remaining wine being thrown out if it is not drunk the same day it is opened. Amontillados and Olorosos will keep for longer, while sweeter versions such as PX, and blended cream sherries, are able to last several weeks or even months after opening since

1218-532: The narrative: the spy Jim Prideaux is alerted to the presence of a double agent within his division when Russian KGB agents are able to correctly identify the brand of sherry that was consumed during a secret meeting of MI6 personnel. In John Mortimer's long-running Rumpole of the Bailey book and television series, Horace Rumpole continually complains about how various family doctors are served sherry by his wife Hilda when they visit. For example, in 'Rumpole and

1260-607: The nation and the aim was to make up for the omission of that provision in the Militia Act of 1757 which applied only to England and the Scottish Militia Bill which was rejected in April 1760. The aim of the club provoked some unwelcome opposition and, at the suggestion of Adam Smith the name was changed so as to be enigmatic to the general public. Much as a fireplace poker stirs a fire to flame up, The Poker

1302-487: The official name of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, it is one of Spain's wine regions, a Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP). The word sherry is an anglicisation of Xérès (Jerez). Sherry was previously known as sack , from the Spanish saca , meaning "extraction" from the solera . In Europe, "sherry" has protected designation of origin status, and under Spanish law , all wine labelled as "sherry" must legally come from

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1344-401: The production of sherry, but now there are only three white grapes grown for sherry-making: Sherry-style wines made in other countries often use other grape varieties. The Palomino grapes are harvested in early September, and pressed lightly to extract the must . The must from the first pressing, the primera yema , is used to produce Fino and Manzanilla; the must from the second pressing,

1386-427: The sherries that have been aged oxidatively may be stored for years without noticeable loss in flavour. Bottles should be stored upright to minimize the wine's exposed surface area. As with other wines, sherry should be stored in a cool, dark place. The best fino sherries, aged for longer than normal before bottling, such as Manzanilla Pasada, will continue to develop in the bottle for some years. Fino and Manzanilla are

1428-434: The sugar content acts as a preservative. Sherry is traditionally drunk from a copita (also referred to as a catavino ), a special tulip-shaped sherry glass. Sampling wine directly from a sherry butt may be performed with a characteristic flourish by a venenciador , named after the special cup (the venencia ) traditionally made of silver and fastened to a long whale whisker handle. The cup, narrow enough to pass through

1470-426: The term Apera instead of sherry, while consumers still use the term sherry. The Jerez district has a predictable climate, with approximately 70 days of rainfall and almost 300 days of sun per year. The rain mostly falls between the months of October and May, averaging 600 mm (24 in). The summer is dry and hot, with temperatures as high as 40 °C (104 °F), but winds from the ocean bring moisture to

1512-489: The three names Jerez / Xérès / sherry , and so may prosecute producers of similar fortified wines from other places using any of the same names. In 1933, Article 34 of the Spanish Estatuto del Vino (Wine Law) established the boundaries of sherry production as the first Spanish wine denominación . Today, sherry's official status is further recognized by wider EU legislation , under which "sherry" sold within

1554-426: The top to allow flor to develop on top of the wine. Sherry is then aged in the solera system where new wine is put into wine barrels at the beginning of a series of three to nine barrels. Periodically, a portion of the wine in a barrel is moved into the next barrel down, using tools called the canoa (canoe) and rociador (sprinkler) to move the wine gently and avoid damaging the layer of flor in each barrel. At

1596-507: The vineyards in the early morning and the clays in the soil retain water below the surface. The average temperature across the year is approximately 18 °C (64 °F). There are three types of soil in the Jerez district for growing the grapes for sherry: The albariza soil is the best for growing the Palomino grape, and by law, 40 percent of the grapes making up a sherry must come from albariza soil. The barros and arenas soil

1638-740: The vineyards. In 1264 Alfonso X of Castile took the city. From this point on, the production of sherry and its export throughout Europe increased significantly. By the end of the 16th century, sherry had a reputation in Europe as the world's finest wine. Christopher Columbus brought sherry on his voyage to the New World and when Ferdinand Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on sherry than on weapons. Sherry became very popular in Great Britain, especially after Francis Drake sacked Cadiz in 1587. At that time Cadiz

1680-553: Was one of the most important Spanish seaports, and Spain was preparing an armada there to invade England. Among the spoils Drake brought back after destroying the fleet were 2,900 barrels of sherry that had been waiting to be loaded aboard Spanish ships. This helped popularize sherry in the British Isles. Because sherry was a major wine export to the United Kingdom, many English companies and styles developed. Many of

1722-463: Was set soon after two o'clock, at one shilling a head, the wine to be confined to sherry and claret , and the reckoning to be called at six o’clock". The first fifteen members were chosen by nomination, the rest by ballot , "two black balls to exclude the candidate". A new "preses" (chairman) was chosen at each meeting. There were three office bearers: the Secretary, Sir William Pulteney ,

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1764-557: Was to "stir up" the militia question. David Hume could well find the company of The Poker a relief from a skeptical depression – "Most fortunately it happens that since reason is incapable of dispelling these clouds, nature herself suffices to that purpose ... I dine, I play a game of backgammon , I converse, and am merry with my friends; and when after three or four hours amusement, I return to these speculations, they appear so cold, and strain'd, and ridiculous, that I cannot find it in my heart to enter into them any farther." As to why

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