Ehrmanns announces a series of rare Williams & Humbert vintage sherry tastings, to take place across the UK at the end of April (23rd – 26th). These events will mark the start of a campaign to highlight the premium status of the Williams & Humbert range and raise awareness of the extent of its sherry portfolio. Furthermore they will serve as part of a drive to support key regional distributors, promoting Williams & Humbert as an attractive proposition to their target smaller specialist retailers and regional or local wholesalers.

William Craven-Bartle Export Director for Williams & Humbert who will be hosting these events explains the rationale behind them, “The UK is an important export market for us and we are delighted to support our key customers with these exclusive vintage tastings. These will also offer an excellent opportunity, to show a selection of sherry from the Williams & Humbert Solera and core ranges in a social dining setting, paired with tapas and matching dishes – enjoyed as it should be. There has been an explosion of consumer interest in Spanish wine and food in recent years in the UK, including sherry, which we feel should be considered as a different style of wine. We would like to see those who buy good Spanish wines and enjoy Spanish style food here in the UK also consider sherry from the Williams & Humbert range”.

Wholesale Director Alan McDermott comments on developments to date in the UK: “Whilst sherry remains a difficult category overall, there appears to be a growing demand for premium sherry. And the recent inclusion of wines such as the Palo Cortado 20yo, Amontillado 30yo and PX 20 yo and Dry Sack 15yo, as well as the latest 12yo collection to the EIS (Ehrmanns Independent Selection) portfolio is proving popular with a niche market, with which we enjoy increasing success”.

Notes to Editors:
Williams & Humbert has a long tradition of making sherry and was founded in 1877. In its normal form, Sherry is a fortified wine matured in the Solera System, in which older wines are regularly refreshed with younger wines of the same style, which then gradually assimilate the characteristics of their more mature partners. Since 1920 however, Williams & Humbert has put aside a butt (500litres) of every vintage of the same vineyard: Alamo in Balbaina. These barrels have never been refreshed and with evaporation these wines have gradually concentrated as they have been racked into successively smaller casks. The resulting vintage sherry or Añada as it is called – is rare indeed.

The Añada events will take place as follows:

   • 23rd April 2007 The Nobody Inn, Exeter (trade only) and The Turtley Corn Mill, Devon
   • 24th April Barcelona Bar, London
   • 26th April Igg’s Restaurant, Edinburgh, hosted by Wine Importers

The vintage sherry to be tasted will be from the 1950’s and the 1970’s and will be followed by either a lunch or dinner of a selection of dishes, specially prepared to match sherries from the core Williams & Humbert range. These include: