Meet Sherry Week Ambassador Deborah Hansen

Sherry is equally masterful and mysterious. I am fascinated by the centuries-old process and how it allows for evolution, like a well-written Constitution. I wish I could go to Jerez 4 times a year and listen to the capataces expound... It thrills me to turn a naysayer onto Sherry - and then enjoying a glass with them!

Since 1998, Ms. Hansen has been committed to replicating her favorite dishes from Spain, where she lived for almost 8 years as a student and later a restaurateur. She received formal Sommelier training in Madrid and has created an all-Spanish wine list that has garnered several awards over the years, most recently “Wine Enthusiasts Top 100 Wine Lists” and “World of Fine Wines Award” as well as the “Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence,” (for the 12th year running). A graduate of Bates College and New York University, as well as the proud mother of two daughters, Deborah plans on finishing her cookbook based on recipes and stories from Taberna de Haro in the next year.

Favorite Sherry Pairing

In my restaurant Taberna de Haro, one of my favorite pairings is Saffron salt-cod balls with a glass, preferably a 375 ml bottle, of Manzanilla Deliciosa. Sultry saffron and salty fish play so harmoniously with the chalky, vibrant manzanilla. In my house, my favorite pairing is the Amontillado La Cigarrera VOS with a plate of green Spanish olives, such as a mix of Campo Real and manzanilla, with a few anchovies thrown in, and a huge drizzle of Spanish extra virgin olive oil. It is miraculous to me how the chalkiness of the albariza soils is flawlessly preserved and resoundingly expressed in this more than 20 year old amontillado, originally a manzanilla.

Try Deborah's recipe for Albondigas de Bacalao