Pedro Ximénez (PX)
Inky black, syrup-thick sweet sherry made from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes. Tastes like raisin, fig, espresso and dark chocolate.
Pedro Ximénez is one of the sweetest, darkest wines made anywhere. The grapes (Pedro Ximénez, often shortened to PX) get sun-dried on straw mats for one to three weeks until they're nearly raisins, then pressed to extract a tiny amount of concentrated syrup. The resulting wine is so high in sugar that fermentation barely starts; the alcohol is added by fortification. The colour is mahogany-black, the texture is syrup-thick, and the flavour is raisin, fig, dried date, espresso and dark chocolate. PX is made both in DO Montilla-Moriles (the historical heartland, in Córdoba) and as a sweet sherry component in DO Jerez. A small glass at the end of a meal is the standard serving; a generous pour over vanilla ice cream is the standard restaurant dessert.
How it's served
Room temperature in a small glass, after a meal, as a dessert wine in its own right. Or poured over vanilla ice cream, which is one of the great two-ingredient desserts in Spanish restaurant cooking. A small bottle goes a long way; PX is intense.
Regional variation
DO Montilla-Moriles in Córdoba is the historical PX heartland and the source of the most concentrated examples. DO Jerez uses some PX too, mostly to sweeten cream sherries and the sweet versions of oloroso. The Jerez PX category is often less concentrated than the Montilla one.
- Origin
- Montilla-Moriles and Jerez, Andalusia
- Etymology
- Named after Peter Siemens, the German-Flemish soldier who's said to have brought the grape variety from the Rhine to Spain in the 16th century. The Spanish version of his name became Pedro Ximénez.
- Also called
- PX
Frequently asked
What is Pedro Ximénez?
A very sweet, very dark Spanish fortified wine made from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes. Mahogany-black in colour, syrup-thick in texture, with flavours of raisin, fig, espresso and dark chocolate. Made in DO Montilla-Moriles (the historical centre) and as a sweet sherry in DO Jerez.
Is PX a sherry?
Sometimes. PX wines made in the DO Jerez triangle are sherries. PX wines made in DO Montilla-Moriles (in Córdoba) follow similar rules but use a different appellation, so technically aren't sherry. Both come from the same grape and the same technique; the legal definition differs.
What do you drink Pedro Ximénez with?
On its own, after a meal, in a small glass. Or poured over vanilla ice cream as one of the simplest and best Spanish desserts. Pairs with strong blue cheeses, bitter chocolate desserts and traditional Andalusian tocino de cielo (a caramel-egg custard). Avoid serving cold; the flavour mutes.
Related terms
- 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.
- 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.
- Denominación de Origen (DO)Spain's protected geographical indication system for wine and food. Sets rules on what can be made where, how, and from what.
- TurrónSpanish almond nougat eaten at Christmas. Two main styles: Jijona (soft, blended) and Alicante (hard, with whole almonds).