Sherry by Julian Jeffs | book review

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[pullquote position=”right”]This book about Sherry is a classic[/pullquote]. It is now in its 6th edition (first published 1961!), so just imagine how many wine enthusiasts and wine professions that have learned about the Spanish wine through this book. And probably enjoyed learning too.

This book is thorough. No stones are left unturned, all aspects are covered: history, terroir, the land, production, the trade and the shippers and the different styles of sherry of course. As the author has been working with wine for a long time and has travelled at numerous occasions to the region of Jerez ever since the 1950s, he can make interesting comparisons with the modern ways of making sherry and the old days.

Sherry by Julian Jeffs, cover
Sherry by Julian Jeffs, cover, copyright BKWine Photography

Because the book is so thorough it is a bit of a “weighty tome”. You will probably not read it in one go. Instead you pick a chapter here and there. There are a few illustrations but not many. Maybe sooner than you had expected you will realize that you have finished the book anyway!

I would perhaps have liked to have the different styles of sherry and their production methods more structured and easy to find quickly. However, that said, the very special chemistry involved in the sherry production is well explained. You just need to take your time and read the whole chapter, even if it means getting a bit of history and anecdotes into the bargain.

We have an earlier edition that is more than thirty years old (interesting comparison!) and quite a bit has changed since!

Interestingly this is not the only new book about sherry, so let’s hope that [inlinetweet prefix=”BKWine Mag:” tweeter=”” suffix=”via @bkwineper”]this very thorough book can contribute to making sherry deservedly more popular[/inlinetweet]!

  • Sherry by Julian Jeffs
  • Publisher: Infinite Ideas Limited
  • 6th edition, completely revised and updated
  • 260 pages
  • Price ~£35

Buy the book:

Sherry by Julian Jeffs, the contents
Sherry by Julian Jeffs, the contents, copyright BKWine Photography
Sherry by Julian Jeffs, a sample chapter
Sherry by Julian Jeffs, a sample chapter, copyright BKWine Photography
Sherry by Julian Jeffs, an old illustration
Sherry by Julian Jeffs, an old illustration, copyright BKWine Photography

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