Sherry On Toast? Over 50 years ago Jeff Moss worked in a cellar famous for Sherry production where finished wine made from selected grapes was pumped to below ground tanks.
These tanks had vaulted ceilings and the reason behind this became apparent only years later.The tanks were filled to provide maximum surface area. And this is where the toast came in.
Sherry results from a secondary fermentation using a special yeast- A Flor culture, which forms a continuous film over the wine in tank.To inoculate, the wine culture is spread on toast, which is then floated in the wine.
The toast sinks, the culture floats .After some weeks this spreads across surface of the wine and the process begins in earnest.
Jeff was sceptical when told this tale, however, by chance Jeff recently met a man at a seminar who had also 'floated toast' at this same winery all those years ago. Fortunately the younger generation who had doubted Jeff's story were with him to hear our mutual reminiscences.
The old dog still has a few things to teach.