Dry sherries from the Jerez region of Spain known as fino and manzanilla are made in the same way. However, it is said that manzanilla has a hint of salt which distinguishes it from fino. Indeed, the grapes used to make manzanilla are grown by the sea. I love both, but in blind tastings find them indistinguishable, however hard I try to detect manzanilla’s saltiness. So is it a myth, or do those vines grown by the sea really provide a salty tang? If so, how?
Andy Croke, Dover, Kent, UK