Muskoka Summer Recipe for Wild Mushroom Compote w/ Sherry Cream from Sherwood Inn Executive Chef Everett Bell paired with Lustau Amontillado Sherry.

“Every time new sherry (not the Canadian cream variety – get your mind out of the gutter) hits the LCBO, it’s like Christmas for bartenders and Spain-ophiles. This amber amontillado begins life as a fino and is elegantly oxidized as the flor, the protective blanket of yeast that sits on the surface of biologically aged sherry, dies off over the years. Bright and nutty (not to mention a total steal), Los Arcos is made for nibbles like nuts and dried fruit, cheese and cured meats. Serve cool and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.” (Now Magazine – Sarah Parniak)

This style of Sherry can’t be created on-demand, but rather occurs in a small percentage of the wines that begin their life destined to become Fino Sherry, but along the way, the naturally occurring layer of yeast – which grows on top of Fino and protects it from oxidizing – dies and leaves the Sherry suddenly exposed to the open air.

93/100 Points: “How lovely. Amber-coloured and silky, this is technically dry but with a faint trace of sweetness. Imagine toasted hazelnuts, caramel and orange peel energized by a salty tang, with a long, harmonious finish.” (Beppi Crosariol / Globe & Mail)