Start-up sets out to bring Sherry ‘out of grandma’s cupboard’

A start-up wine company has set out to give the beleaguered Sherry category a “total reinvention”, believing its future lies in successfully re-positioning it as a refreshing apéritif rather than “granny’s favourite tipple”.

XECO’s fino Sherry has been launched with the aim of “reinvigorating” the Sherry category

XECO Wines was founded by a trio of “fino fiends” – Beanie, Alexa and Polly – out of their mutual love of Sherry and an ambition to “bring Sherry out of grandma’s cupboard and into wine bars and onto cocktail menus across the UK”.

The first XECO Wines release will be a dry fino Sherry, made from Palomino grapes in Jerez, and aged biologically in American oak casks for a minimum of four years at Diez Merito, a Bodega established in 1876.

The pale golden wine is described as “light and fresh on the palate, with dainty savoury ‘Umami’ aromas and a hint of salinity”.

The brand is working with a number of bartenders to develop a selection of classic and quirky Sherry-based cocktails. Its “disruptive packaging” features historic characters from England and Spain – including Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Shakespeare and Cervantes – and neon graffiti art, which the aim of setting it apart from the traditional “old-world” labelling of many Sherries on the market.

XECO Fino will be available to purchase from Master of Malt from August with an RRP of between £15.99-£16.99, with an Amontillado set to become available in Autumn 2017.

MOVING ON UP?

Its release follows the launch of a new pre-mixed, Sherry-based sparkler by Gonzalez Byass, Croft Twist, based on the Andalusian ‘rebujito’ cocktail and made with from Fino Sherry, lemonade and ice with a garnish of mint.

Also adding to a ripple of renewed interest in the Sherry category in the UK is Waitrose, which earlier this year revamped its Sherry range, redesigning its top-tier own label Sherries to bring more on-shelf appeal.

The new look bottles, which will go on promotion from 17 May, have abandoned the colour-coordinated, coherent look across the range to embrace more individual styles and emulate the older style of premium Sherry to create a more up-market look.