Palomino
Definition - What does Palomino mean?
Palomino is a white grape varietal from Spain that is used mainly for making sherry. This grape has neutral flavors, is low in alcohol, sugars and acidity which makes it a perfect selection for making fortified sherry. This grape is grown in many different parts of the world with different nomenclature and is better used in fortified wines than table wines. The foods that pair well with the Palomino sherry or brandy include, grilled fish, oysters, citrus or sesame flavorings with smoky accents.
WineFrog explains Palomino
Palomino grapes prefer the limestone and chalky soils of the Spanish region Jerez, which attributes to the high must weight that it needs to produce sherry. The must of Palomino also has inclination to oxidize quickly which doesn’t affect fortified wine but the table wine made from Palomino is of lesser quality due to this. Outside of Spain, Palomino is grown in the Canary Islands, California, Australia, South Africa (where it is used to make brandy) and France. The grape is split into different types: Palomino Fino, Palomino de Jerez and Palomino Basto, but the Palomino Fino is the most widely planted and used the most in sherry production.
