Manzanilla
Dry, pale sherry aged under flor in the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. A close cousin to fino, slightly saltier from the sea air.
Manzanilla is fino made in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the small Atlantic-coast town at the mouth of the Guadalquivir river in Andalusia. Like fino, it's made from Palomino grapes and aged for years under flor, the protective yeast layer. The difference is the microclimate: Sanlúcar's humid sea air keeps the flor thicker and more active year-round than the inland Jerez bodegas, which produces a wine with a slightly saltier, fresher, more delicate character. It's a tiny distinction on paper and a real one in the glass. Manzanilla pairs with the same things fino does (jamón, almonds, anchovies, fried fish) and is the unofficial house drink of the spring Feria de Sevilla.
How it's served
Cold (6-8°C), in a small copita glass or a regular white wine glass. The bottle stays in an ice bucket. Manzanilla loses freshness within a few days of opening; it's a wine for finishing.
Regional variation
Manzanilla pasada is an older manzanilla that has lost its flor and started oxidizing, more like an amontillado in profile. Manzanilla en rama is an unfiltered version that captures the wine straight from the barrel, considered the truest expression of the style.
- Origin
- Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalusia
- Etymology
- Spanish for 'chamomile,' a reference to the wine's gentle aroma.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between manzanilla and fino?
Both are dry, pale, flor-aged sherries from Palomino grapes. Fino is made in Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María; manzanilla is made only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the humid sea air keeps the flor thicker year-round. The result is a slightly saltier, fresher wine than fino.
Why is manzanilla saltier than fino?
Sanlúcar de Barrameda sits on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, so the bodegas get more humidity and a steady marine breeze. The flor yeast thrives in that climate and stays active year-round, which gives manzanilla a saltier, more mineral profile than the inland fino.
Is manzanilla the same as chamomile tea?
Different drinks, same name. Spanish manzanilla is chamomile (tea), but it's also the name of this sherry, reportedly because the wine's gentle floral aroma reminded people of the herb. Context usually makes the difference obvious.
Related terms
- FinoDry, pale, bone-dry sherry aged under a protective layer of yeast called flor. The lightest end of the sherry family.
- OlorosoDry, amber-coloured sherry aged with full oxygen contact (no flor). Heavier, nuttier and more intense than fino.
- Jamón ibéricoCured ham from the black-hooved Iberian pig. The top grade, jamón ibérico de bellota, comes from pigs fed on acorns in the dehesa.
- Sherry (Jerez)Fortified wine from the Jerez triangle in Andalusia. Comes in many styles, from bone-dry fino and manzanilla to amber oloroso to syrupy-sweet Pedro Ximénez.