Palomino Fino is to Jerez what Gamay is to Beaujolais or what Riesling is to the Mosel. But unlike the latter examples, the associative link is also contingent on fortification. A growing movement in the region, however, is proving that there is a future for Palomino Fino beyond the expected spirituous boost. Unofficially, the style of unfortified Palomino of Jerez is being referred to as ‘Vinos de Pastos’, or food wine - a term that dates back to a style of wine popular more than a century ago. The current movement, however, is anything but antiquated. Edification of the regions’ pagos and their sub-pagos is evident in bottlings from a clutch of terroir chasing producers. Adding to the diversity of flavor are the approaches to embracing or eschewing of flor.

To offer insight into Jerez’s new wave, we have collected 6 wines from across several pagos; some biologically aged and others not. To further insight into the impact of place and the role flor plays in our understanding of Palomino Fino, we also have 2 wines from South Africa, and 1 from the Canary Islands. 

From Pago Miraflores, we will taste two bottlings of Equipo Navazos Florpower, one aged under flor the other not, as well as Bodegas Cota 45 UBE Miraflores (also under flor). Also from Jerez, there are two wines from Luis Pérez:  La Escribana, a vino de pasta from Macharnudo, and Caberrubia Saca VI, an unfortified fino from Carrascal. From Balbaína Alta, there is an unfortified wine from Bodegas Hidalgos aged without flor. 

The South African examples are sourced from the same Saint Helena Bay vineyard but differ in aging methodology: Gedeelte Palomino, aged under flor, and Badenhorst Sout Van Die, aged without. 

And lastly, to showcase the variety from a source a little bit higher than sea level (about 1,000m above, to be more precise) we have Envínate Benje Blanco from the Ycoden-Daute-Isora subregion of Tenerife. 

This class is in collaboration with Highwater Eatery, who have very kindly agreed to open on Monday, June 10 to run this masterclass. There is only one bottle of each wine, so seats will be limited to 14 people.