Brett Zimmerman, master sommelier and owner of the Boulder Wine Merchant, considers that a tragedy.
"So many people think of sherry, and it doesn't equate into something they'd enjoy on a regular basis," he explains. "But for the global impact of Spanish cuisine, it's amazing that there aren't more places focused on it."
Especially because he and his staff frequently geek out over sherry, picking up an array of varieties to put on the Wine Merchant's shelves. Most of his collection comes from Holly Wing, who represents the De Maison portfolio, which contains "really, really cool stuff," Zimmerman says. "Every single sherry she brings in, we're like, 'Yeah, we'll take that, we'll take that, we'll take that.' They're well-crafted sherries that you don't really see in the big sherry houses."
In an attempt to get people as engaged with the wine as he is, Zimmerman turned to the Mediterranean Restaurant, which helped him put together a sherry dinner featuring Wing. "Our goal is to try to get some people in front of her," Zimmerman explains, a feat he thought best accomplished over a multi-course meal designed specifically to highlight the wines. "Holly gave us a couple of ideas to start with on the menu, and the guys in the kitchen focused regionally."
The dinner will start with the lighter, dryer manzanilla and fino varieties, move into oloroso and finish with the sweeter dessert types. The event, which costs $50 per person, begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight; call the Med at 303-444-5335 to see if there's still space.
If you can't make the dinner, though, rest assured that the staff at the Boulder Wine Merchant would be happy to give you a lesson in appreciating sherry and suggest a bottle or two.
