Manzanilla (wine)
Manzanilla is a fortified wine similar to fino sherry made in the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia (Spain), and is produced under the Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) of Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda DOP. In Spanish, chamomile infusion is called "manzanilla", and thus this wine gets the name because the wine's aroma is said to be reminiscent of such infusion.
| Wine region | |
Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda DOP in the province of Cádiz in the region of Andalusia | |
| Official name | D.O.P. Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda |
|---|---|
| Type | Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) |
| Year established | 1964 |
| Country | Spain |
| No. of vineyards | 6,989 hectares (17,270 acres) |
| No. of wineries | 12 for production of grapes, 23 for maturing of sherry |
| Wine produced | 384,350 hectolitres |
| Comments | Data for 2016 / 2017 for Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla S.B. DOPs |
Manzanilla is manufactured using the same methods as a fino sherry and results in a very pale, dry wine. It is often described as having a savoury and salty flavour, believed to develop from the chalky soil near the sea estuary of the Guadalquivir river. Sanlúcar de Barrameda's cool temperatures and high humidity contribute to a higher yield of flor yeast than in Jerez or El Puerto de Santa María. The thicker cap of flor better protects the wine from contact with the air, resulting in a fresher, more delicate flavour than a fino from Jerez. It is typically aged for three to five years in a solera, but some types may be aged longer.