Sherry Day: December 6

You probably heard or even participated in the recent international Cabernet Sauvignon or Champagne Days.  Those Days were intended to promote those wines all over the world, having people drink and tweet, blog or otherwise share their thoughts on the wines.  Tastings were set up at wine stores, restaurants, and private parties. You could even just drink a wine on your own.   

My primary gripe with these Days is that the wines are already fairly popular.  I feel that such Days would be better devoted to less popular, less common wines, which could use the added promotion.  I would like people to expand their horizons, and try new wines.  There are plenty of worthy wines out there that just don't get enough attention and publicity. So I think it is time to plan a Day for one of those wines, to promote an underappreciated but worthy wine.

So I hereby declare that December 6, 2010, shall be Sherry Day.  This date also happens to be National Gazpacho Day, and Sherry is an excellent pairing for gazpacho.  Sherry is a quality wine, but consumption outside Spain is still low, and most of what is drank outside of Spain is sweet sherry.  In 2009, the U.S., imported only about 182,000 cases of sherry, and approximately 67% were Cream Sherry.  But dry sherry is a worthy wine, everything from fino to palo cortado.  It is just underappreciated, and more people would enjoy it if they just tried it, especially if paired with food.  So let us give them a reason to try it.      

On Sherry Day, please taste some sherry, whether sweet or dry, and tweet, message or blog about it.  Wine stores, please consider holding a sherry tasting on this day.  Restaurants, please consider offering sherry specials on this day.  Get together with family and friends and have a sherry party, trying several different types.  Drink some sherry on its own, or even better, pair it with food.  If you are going to hold a sherry event, please send me the details and I will be sure to post about it.

Please also spread the word about Sherry Day, December 6.  This is a grassroots effort and it will only work if many people play a part in spreading the idea. Tweet about it, blog about it, tell your friends, encourage local wine stores, and more. Give some support and love to this underappreciated wine and I think you might very well find a new wine to savor and enjoy.   

For further Sherry information, check out my own 20+ Sherry articles, the Sherry Council of America, the Secret Sherry Society, the Sherry Consejo Regulador, and my good friends at Catavino.