amontillado

amontillado , dry sherry noted for its delicate bouquet, resembling the wine of Montilla, Spain, from which it derives its name. A blend of pale, dry sherries of the palma type, it assumes in aging a darker color.

Cask of Amontillado, The, tale by Poe, published in Godey's Lady's Book (1846).

During the excitement of the carnival in an Italian city, Montresor determines to avenge “the thousand injuries” of Fortunato, a connoisseur of wines who has offended him. He finds Fortunato drunk, but eager to taste the choice Amontillado that Montresor claims to have stored in his underground vaults. Although he has a cough, made worse by the damp air and clinging nitre of the tunnels through which they go, he refuses to turn back when he hears that his rival, Luchresi, may be allowed to try the wine. At last they reach a crypt at the end of a passage, where Montresor shackles the stupefied Fortunato and proceeds to wall him up with stone and mortar. Fortunato cries for help, but there is no one to hear, and Montresor completes his work, the last sound from his victim being a faint jingling of bells on his carnival motley.

sherry Fortified wines (around 15% alcohol by volume) from the south‐west of Spain, around Jerez and Cadiz. Matured by the solera process rather than by discrete vintages; each year 30% of the wine in the oldest barrel is drawn off for bottling and replaced with wine from the next oldest; this in turn is replaced from the next barrel, and so on.

In order of increasing sweetness, sherries are: fino (very dry); manzanilla; amontillado; oloroso (may be medium‐dry or sweetened and more highly fortified); amoroso or cream. Dry sherry contains 1–2% sugar and 100 mL supplies 120 kcal (500 kJ); medium sherry, 3–4% sugar, supplies 125 kcal (530 kJ); sweet sherry, 7% sugar, supplies 140 kcal (590 kJ).

Sherry‐type wines are also produced in other countries, including South Africa, Cyprus, and Britain (made from imported grape juice) and may legally be described as sherry as long as the country of origin is clearly shown.