Sherry Wine is often referred to as "the most civilised aperitif in the world". Few wines can match a chilled fino or manzanilla when it comes to preparing our palate for the culinary pleasures to come. What not everybody knows, however, is that the possibilities of sherry wines go much further at the table than that of being merely an aperitif par excellence.

Its exclusive origin and particular production method confer upon sherry wine a series of characteristics which, when combined with different dishes, produce extraordinary pairings. From the driest of the dry to the naturally sweet; from the light, pale manzanillas to the velvety smooth pedro ximénez, sherry wines are more than able to produce pairings in the most profound sense of the word. Sherry does not just provide a pleasant combination between wine and dish, but rather an authentic symbiosis. On occasions sherry enhances the most genuine characteristics of a dish (mojama, or air-dried tuna, accompanied by a glass of chilled fino) and on occasions provides us with a range of totally new sensations of bouquet, taste and texture (e.g. cured Manchego cheese with a dry amontillado).

Much has been spoken about the possibilities of finos and manzanillas when accompanying fish and shellfish. These possibilities, however, know no boundaries and are similarly revealed both with traditional fried fish and with sashimi. But there is much more: dry amontillados with soup and consommé (not only in it) or medium sherries with pâté and quiche; oloroso with game or red tuna; chilled pale cream with foie gras… dozens of pairings in which the combination is always better than the sum of the two parts.

On certain occasions sherry wines are not merely an option, but rather the only feasible option to accompany certain dishes. Think of artichokes or asparagus, strongly spiced dishes characteristic of some ethnic cuisine, or marinades and vinaigrettes: forbidden territory for other wines. Given its generous alcoholic content and extraordinary concentration of bouquet sherry does not fade before this type of dish, thus achieving some quite spectacular pairings.

Desserts are without doubt another of the gastronomic fields in which sherry wines excel. With fruit, pastries and ice-cream, even chocolate, the aromatic complexity and velvety texture of naturally sweet sherry wines provide the counterpoint required to prolong our gastronomic experience right to the very end of the meal.

Not forgetting, of course, cheese. Cured or semi-cured, creamy, blue or smoked… there's always a sherry to provide the perfect match for each type of cheese.

The possibilities are endless and the results always gratifying. There is nothing like individual creativity and imagination; but having said this we shall go on to suggest some pairings for each different type of sherry.