jerez
/xeˈɾeθ/masculine
The Spanish word for sherry is jerez.
jerez refers both to the fortified wine and to the city in Spain where it is produced.
Meaning: fortified wine (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, jerez is used with the masculine article el when referring to the wine.
How do you pronounce it?
/xeˈɾeθ/
Did you know?
- The English word 'sherry' is actually a phonetic adaptation of the Spanish city name Jerez. Early English merchants struggled with the Spanish 'j' sound and modified the name to fit their own pronunciation.
- The distinctive 'flor' in some types of jerez is a layer of indigenous yeast that floats on top of the wine, protecting it from oxygen and creating a unique flavor.
- A specialized system called 'solera' is used to age jerez, where wine is moved between barrels of different ages to ensure the final blend is consistent every year.
Examples in context
- Bienvenidos a este evento de cata de vinos. Hoy vamos a degustar un renombrado vino de Jerez.Welcome to this wine tasting event. Today we are going to taste a renowned sherry.
- Este jerez es muy seco.This sherry is very dry.
- Me gusta beber jerez por la tarde.I like drinking sherry in the afternoon.
- Compré un jerez excelente en la tienda.I bought an excellent sherry at the store.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are enjoying tapas at a bar.
- Javier¿Quieres probar este jerez, Sofía?Do you want to try this sherry, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, parece muy bueno.Yes, it looks very good.
- JavierEs un jerez de la región.It is a sherry from the region.
- Sofía¡Está riquísimo!It is delicious!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sherry” translations and entries jerez, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jerez, CC BY-SA 4.0.
