what is cream sherry?

I am making a creamed onion recipe out of Gourmet magazine and it calls for 3 TBS of "cream sherry" - is it a big deal if I use regualr sherry? what is cream sherrry?

TIA

John

I am making a creamed onion recipe out of Gourmet magazine and it calls for 3 TBS of "cream sherry" - is it a big deal if I use regualr sherry? what is cream sherrry?

TIA

John

Generally, it is among the sweetest of sherries, if not the sweetest.

[Robin Garr]

I am making a creamed onion recipe out of Gourmet magazine and it calls for 3 TBS of "cream sherry" - is it a big deal if I use regualr sherry? what is cream sherry?

John, adding to what Thomas said, Cream Sherry is the name for sweet Oloroso. It's not quite as sweet as the wacky Pedro Ximenez, but it's a very sweet drink. I suppose you could substitute a dry Sherry and add sugar to the recipe, but it would probably be a lot simpler to buy one. Most wine shops should have a selection of Cream Sherry, and I wouldn't expect it to be horribly pricey.

John,

Here's an idea for you. Get a bottle of Cribari "Madeira."

I use sweet wine in a lot of my reduction and general sauces. This wine does the trick quite well. It is inexpensive and--in a very BIG pinch--it can even be tasted all by itself, not that I ever will

[Jenise]

If you'd never have any other use for a sweet sherry (I wouldn't!), I'd use regular sherry and add sugar to it until it seems dessert-wine sweet, then use the blend in the dish. That will ensure you don't oversweeten the dish.

Other uses for sweet sherry:

At the (Episcopal) church I grew up attending, they used Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry as the communion wine. It's hard for me not to think of church when I taste it. I think that around the world many churches use a sweet wine for communion. Certainly "Vin Santo" got its name in Tuscany from its use in church. Sweet wines last longer, and a little sip packs more of a punch and lingers on the palate.

F

Other uses for sweet sherry:

At the (Episcopal) church I grew up attending, they used Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry as the communion wine.

Interesting. I grew up going to Presbyterian (and sometimes Baptist) churches that always served grape juice. But the other week I was at n Episcopal church and they served a sweet white wine (like Sauternes, although I'm sure cheap) and it shocked me. Not just because it was real alcohol and because it was sweet, but because of the color. I thought it was supposed to symbolize blood so they could have at least used Port!

Other uses for sweet sherry:

At the (Episcopal) church I grew up attending, they used Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry as the communion wine.

Interesting. I grew up going to Presbyterian (and sometimes Baptist) churches that always served grape juice. But the other week I was at n Episcopal church and they served a sweet white wine (like Sauternes, although I'm sure cheap) and it shocked me. Not just because it was real alcohol and because it was sweet, but because of the color. I thought it was supposed to symbolize blood so they could have at least used Port!

Maybe the Episcopal ritual symbolizes plasma, ba da bing!

I have to make the observation that the Episcopalians in Tuscany are a distinct minority...

F

I second Jenise's advice, in cooking you can generally sub. a drier sherry plus some sweetening if you have a good general-purpose one (like an Oloroso or Amontillado -- I admit to getting the latter partly from its importance in a famous gothic story, but it's also practical). In fact, a creamed onion dish will include significant natural sugars already from the ingredients, it might be fine with just a drier sherry, I'd certainly taste the finished dish and then if necessary adjust sugar.

The Episcopalian communion stories recall something you folks might enjoy. A college town I know includes several graduate seminaries, of various faiths, which collaborate. Among their faculty was an Episcopalian minister (and scholar of ancient literatures), also one of the leading wine geeks in the town (Berkeley). Among other things he was a minor partner in Ridge Vineyards. He liked to "spread the word" about enjoying fine wines, to which end he started a fairly serious tasting group (about 35 years ago), recruiting members by means I can only call unorthodox. He conducted communion services, but using very fine wines (aged Bordeaux or Rhônes, fine California Cabernets). Celebrants who remarked to him about this, or wanted to know about the wines, were invited to join the tasting group.

That professor was one of my early wine mentors; I joined the group in early 1980s (by other means) and it still meets. The first time I tasted with them, the professor brought out from his cellar some of the best California wines I, or actually anyone, has ever tasted -- pioneering artisanal Cabernets from the 1950s and 1960s, bought inexpensively when new on the market, on the basis that they tasted good. Amazingly without the use of any rating scores ...

The first time I tasted with them, the professor brought out from his cellar some of the best California wines I, or actually anyone, has ever tasted -- pioneering artisanal Cabernets from the 1950s and 1960s, bought inexpensively when new on the market, on the basis that they tasted good.

The producers, Max?

Martini, Ray, Beaulieu, Inglenook?

[Little has this to do with cream sherry, but in the interest of sharing information --]

The producers, Max?

Beaulieu and Inglenook definitely; Martini was in related tastings. Details follow. I now see that some wines I remembered from 1950s and 1960s were at other tastings from the same cellar; still this first group tasting sang. In 1981, the '55 Inglenook had achieved the novel status of single most sought-after California Cabernet then extant in moderate quantity, breaking the four-digit barrier in dollar auction price. (That information was mentioned with amazement at the time by the professor, who'd bought dozens for a few dollars each circa 1959.)

Detailed list from the tasting I cited is in This posting,from a small thread on older California reds and food pairings.

Did you also try some of these or related wines, Thomas?

[Little has this to do with cream sherry, but in the interest of sharing information --]

The producers, Max?

Beaulieu and Inglenook definitely; Martini was in related tastings. Details follow. I now see that some wines I remembered from 1950s and 1960s were at other tastings from the same cellar; still this first group tasting sang. In 1981, the '55 Inglenook had achieved the novel status of single most sought-after California Cabernet then extant in moderate quantity, breaking the four-digit barrier in dollar auction price. (That information was mentioned with amazement at the time by the professor, who'd bought dozens for a few dollars each circa 1959.)

Detailed list from the tasting I cited is in This posting,from a small thread on older California reds and food pairings.

Did you also try some of these or related wines, Thomas?

Oh, heavens yes, Max.

I started drinking wine in the early 1970s and these wines could still be had for cheap, since few Northeasterners even knew they existed.

In fact, I worked on the audio visual piece that introduced visitors to Beaulieu Vineyards. Spent a lot of time out there drinking up the old wonders of Napa Valley.

You need to read up on Martin Ray and his pioneering work with "varietal" winemaking in California, and its connection with Schoonmaker and Lichine. Maybe you should join the wine book society called Wayward Tendrils--email me if interested.

Other uses for sweet sherry:

At the (Episcopal) church I grew up attending, they used Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry as the communion wine.

Interesting. I grew up going to Presbyterian (and sometimes Baptist) churches that always served grape juice. But the other week I was at n Episcopal church and they served a sweet white wine (like Sauternes, although I'm sure cheap) and it shocked me. Not just because it was real alcohol and because it was sweet, but because of the color. I thought it was supposed to symbolize blood so they could have at least used Port!

Maybe the Episcopal ritual symbolizes plasma, ba da bing!

We usually use an port, but last week we had run out. The pastor brought a Guigal Rose. Not bad, but a bit too light in color.

Thomas, about two years ago, I stumbled onto a cache of old Ray pinots. The company that bought the brand had inherited the inventory, and there were several cases of wines from the '60s. I was lucky enough to be there on some other business when the cases were brought out, so got to sit in on the opening of a dozen or so different bottles.

Most were no longer alive, but there were a few...

You need to read up on Martin Ray and his pioneering work with "varietal" winemaking in California, and its connection with Schoonmaker and Lichine ...

Thanks, I'm very interested in those subjects. I'm somewhat acquainted with the Martin Ray history from steady reading of sources like Schoonmaker and Marvel's American Wines (1941) which was part of the "varietal" campaign; the California wine books of John Melville (baron van Carnbee) starting in the 1950s; Thompson and Johnson, 1976; Balzer, 1978; of course (prerequisite to any deep discussion of California wine history) the massive 1984 UC-Press book edited by Muscatine, Amerine, and Thompson; Haeger's 2004 North American Pinot Noir, naturally, which relates the 1930s origins of the "varietal" advocacy by Lichine and Schoonmaker; another recent book I can't recall, focusing on the Santa Cruz Mountains region and Martin Ray. (Besides which Ray's successor Jeff Patterson at the property now called Mount Eden has participated in one of my regular tasting groups for 10 years -- you must join us some time if possible, I've been lobbying Mark Lipton to do so but he's always too busy -- while Jeff and a very respected counterpart in the Cabernet and Zinfandel business both hang out at a certain nearby restaurant we all like , which features their wines.)

I'm interested to hear other good sources on that history. Is the Wayward Tendrils a source for such info?


Cheers and a happy Thanksgiving holiday to all (an annual harvest festival, for any reader outside US) -- Max

“California wines have come of age. Only the uninformed will deny that they have their own and diversified charm. ... If the inevitable wine snob is not to be convinced, remove the label first. Better still, remove the snob!” -- “John Melville," Guide to California Wines, second edition, 1960. (Not from online.)

I'm interested to hear other good sources on that history. Is the Wayward Tendrils a source for such info?


Cheers and a happy Thanksgiving holiday to all (an annual harvest festival, for any reader outside US) -- Max

“California wines have come of age. Only the uninformed will deny that they have their own and diversified charm. ... If the inevitable wine snob is not to be convinced, remove the label first. Better still, remove the snob!” -- “John Melville," Guide to California Wines, second edition, 1960. (Not from online.)

Our own Bob Ross introduced me to Wayward Tendrils; it's a group dedicated to wine books and book collectors, but its newsletter also has some great stories in it. In fact, for the past few months there's been an ongoing story about Martin Ray's work and influence, not to mention his fights. Apparently, from his letters to Amerine, et al, Ray found Melville to be a bore and a sponge, with no wine knowledge of his own. He also accused Schoonmaker of stealing his thunder re, varietals.

Fascinating reading into the history of California's modern wine world.

If you'd never have any other use for a sweet sherry (I wouldn't!), I'd use regular sherry and add sugar to it until it seems dessert-wine sweet, then use the blend in the dish. That will ensure you don't oversweeten the dish.

Jenise,

Table sugar (sucrose) is not the same as the grape juice sugars that sweeten a sweet wine. But if the alternative is not making the dish at all, table sugar and dry Oloroso Sherry (I wouldn't consider a Fino or Amontillado a suitable substitute--they taste very different from an Oloroso) would be OK.

-Paul W.

If you'd never have any other use for a sweet sherry (I wouldn't!), I'd use regular sherry and add sugar to it until it seems dessert-wine sweet, then use the blend in the dish. That will ensure you don't oversweeten the dish.

Jenise,

Table sugar (sucrose) is not the same as the grape juice sugars that sweeten a sweet wine. But if the alternative is not making the dish at all, table sugar and dry Oloroso Sherry (I wouldn't consider a Fino or Amontillado a suitable substitute--they taste very different from an Oloroso) would be OK.

-Paul W.

Could add grape juice, but all this adding of sugar and such seems such a waste of time, when sweet wines of all sorts are available and can do just as well as Cream Sherry in cooking.

I am making a creamed onion recipe out of Gourmet magazine and it calls for 3 TBS of "cream sherry" - is it a big deal if I use regualr sherry? what is cream sherrry?

TIA

John

John:

What kind of sherry do you call regular sherry?

If it is only 3 TBS then upgrade to PX and drink the rest or pour over the dessert. I find Cream Sherry pretty unpalatable.

Also drizzle the PX over the dish on serving.

I like the concept of onions and sherry. Will you caramelise the onions?

John: What kind of sherry do you call regular sherry? If it is only 3 TBS then upgrade to PX and drink the rest or pour over the dessert. I find Cream Sherry pretty unpalatable.
Also drizzle the PX over the dish on serving.
I like the concept of onions and sherry. Will you caramelise the onions?

Warren, I am with you all the way. PX sherry is affordable and way better than almost any Cream sherry. However all the big houses make a palatable oloroso. One in particular is from the house of Sandeman called Armada Cream, which I have always found palatable in small amounts