In some modern London or Brighton restaurants, the first drink offered might not be a
cocktail or glass of prosecco, but a small, chilled glass of sherry. This unusual offering lets
restaurants stand out and surprise diners.
Often dismissed as a sweet ‘grandma’ drink, sherry has spent decades out of fashion. In
recent years, however, drier sherries have been quietly making a comeback, encouraged by
producers eager for a revival.
One such figure is Antonio Morenés, one of the founders of Jerez-based sherry company,
Diatomists.
Nestled in southern Andalusia, Jerez has been producing wine for over 3,000 years and is
best known for its sherry.
Antonio is the seventh generation in his family to enter the sherry business. His ancestor
William Garvey was an Irish ship merchant who arrived in the port of Cádiz in 1776. After
falling in love with a local woman, Garvey sold his ship and used the money to buy a
vineyard, laying the foundations for a family sherry business that would last generations.
Named Bodegas Garvey, the company remained in the family until the early 1980s, when it
was sold shortly before the sherry market crashed.
Morenés did not expect to return to the industry, but when two friends expressed interest in
sherry, he found himself drawn back. Together they founded Diatomists, aiming to create
sherries that express the character of their soil.
Diatomists prides itself on traceability and a unique flavour profile. The company focuses on
fresh, fruit-driven wines with floral notes by the fruit, defining their distinctive style.
Antonio explained: “We wanted our sherry to be very well made, very delicious, but at the
same time, we want it to be approachable and we want it to be gastronomic, we want it to be
enjoyed without ceremony.”
Diatomists is part of what Antonio describes as the “Sherry Revolution”, a growing
movement among sherry producers in Jerez who want to help the fortified wine make a
resurgence.
In the 20th century, sherry was produced in ever-increasing volumes to meet overseas
demand, particularly from the UK. As production rose, prices fell, and sherry’s reputation
suffered.
Antonio said: “We had it very easy because we had a massive market which was in love with
our sherry.
“But then the market was asking for more wine, and the more the market wanted, the lower
the price went, and the more volume they produced. Completely the opposite of any
successful wine boutique.”
The Sherry Revolution aims to return to producing wines that focus on quality rather than
volume, using healthier soils and more beautiful fruit.
In the UK, this change in production is reflected in the shift towards drier sherries on
restaurant menus. Dry sherries, such as fino and manzanilla, are increasingly paired alongside
white wines rather than dessert drinks, shedding sherry’s sweet stereotype.
The popularity of Spanish cuisine in the UK has also contributed to sherry’s reemergence. As
Spanish restaurants, particularly within the fine-dining scene, have grown in number, more
chefs have turned to sherry for its versatility within a menu.
Sherry’s ability to complement a wide variety of flavours makes it a perfect fit for tasting
menus. It can be paired with everything from seafood to blue cheese, asparagus to fish and
chips. Sweeter styles, like Pedro Ximenez, pair exquisitely with sticky puddings.
Diatomists’ sherry pairing wheel highlights how adaptable the wine can be, essentially
mapping out a different sherry for every course of a meal.
Sherry’s quiet revival has also been helped by the fact that younger drinkers are mostly unbothered by its ‘grandma’ status. Just as vermouth has made a recent comeback in bars, sherry is being rediscovered as a refined, distinctive drink.
“They haven't really lived through this sherry boom and crash,” Antonio said. “The image they have now is that it's a complex wine, it's chic, and it feels different.”
This shift in attitude has changed the way sherry is being consumed. While bottles used to be shared over a long meal, sherry is now ordered by the glass, often alongside snacks like olives or cheese.
This doesn’t mean sherry has suddenly become a regular order. It is rarely ordered in pubs, and younger generations in the UK generally drink less alcohol, including sherry.
For Antonio, the future of sherry is undeniably its driest styles. He argues that Fino and Manzanilla belong with white wines rather than being confined to the fortified section, which could fundamentally alter how these sherries are perceived.
Sherry, he believes, will never return to its former status, and doesn’t need to.
“It’s always going to be niche,” he said. “It just needs to find its place in the market again.”
