Pedro Ximénez

Spain's beloved PX is perfect poured over desserts, served with sushi or enjoyed neat. Ruth Leigh, the sommelier behind recently opened Updown in Kent, chooses four of her favourite pedro ximénez bottles for Christmas

The Grape

This white Spanish grape is thought to originate in the Andalusian region – Montilla-Moriles, south of Córdoba and 150km from Jerez, is considered the homeland. Thin-skinned, it’s allowed to over-ripen and dry in the sun, creating the concentrated flavour of a single varietal sherry. One legend has it named after a 17th-century German soldier, Peter Siemen aka Pedro Ximén in Spanish, who took a vine from Germany and planted it in Spain.

The Taste

Dried fruits are always to the fore – figs, raisins, dates – followed by sweet caramel, toffee and honey. More complex flavours that may be found include liquorice, coffee, walnuts and lemon.

The Pairings

Pour it over fruit salads and ice creams or replace rum for a baba. It goes well with all cheese, including strong blues and, unsurprisingly given its origin, cured meats too. Dry sherry is a good match for sushi and teriyaki, not to mention smoked fish.

The Vines

Around 70 per cent of the vines in Montilla-Moriles are dedicated to the grape, but it’s also grown in Australia for their ‘stickies’ (sweet wines). Argentina’s close relation, pedro giménez, has similarities but it’s not identical to PX and is used for white wines.