Sherry is one of the best kept secrets of the wine world.

Just ask anyone in the wine trade and they’ll tell you, it packs more pleasure than almost any other wine style.

Sherry is very, very cool. And not just for the over 60 set. This fortified wine from the Jerez region of southwestern Spain, aged and blended fractionally over many decades in an intricate system called a solera, can yield results that will make you a believer. Not surprising. The people of Jerez have been perfecting their winemaking there since 1110 BC.

So why isn’t it more popular? Aside from its granny image, its categorization is a bit of a problem. How do you remember which ones are dry, sweet, pale, dark, salty, nutty and raisin-like? What is the difference between a manzanilla, an amontillado and a palo cortado?

Before you throw in the towel and grab another Pinot Grigio to go with those olives or a port for after dinner sipping, check out these easy ways to remember your sherry styles.

Ranging from dry and pale to sweet and dark are manzanilla, fino, amontillado, palo cortado, oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez (PX). The first four are dry wines that spend time in barrel under a film of natural yeast called “flor” imparting a slightly bread-like character.

Manzanilla and fino are pale white wines because the flor kept them fresh and protected from oxygen so both styles are similarly neutral tasting. Manzanilla, however tastes a bit saltier than fino. This has nothing to do with the fact manzanilla is always made in the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda but its provenance is a convenient way to remember its sea spray taste. Both manzanilla and fino are quintessential aperitifs – perfect with olives and nuts.

Amontillado and the rarer palo cortado are essentially aged finos. They start out as finos then lose their flor, becoming amber, oxidized, and nutty. Both can be dry or slightly sweet and both pair beautifully with cold meats as well as spicy Indian and Thai fare. The only difference is palo cortado is richer in colour and complexity than amontillado.

When you think oloroso, think of gourmet trail mix flavours. This fully oxidized style is full-bodied, amber-to-brown coloured, and brimming with fruit and nut nuances. It’s traditionally bone dry but is often sweetened these days and this is noted on the label. Dry Sack and cream sherries are sweetened olorosos. Dry or sweet, the oloroso works amazingly well after dinner with the cheese course.

The sweetest style of sherry available is Pedro Ximénez – a syrupy wine reminiscent of raisin pie. Without a doubt, PX is best poured over vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with pralines.

PX may be sweet, but this news is sweeter. The Regulatory Council of the Jerez recently started certifying sherries at least 20 years old as “VOS” and those at least 30 years old as “VORS.” VOS stands for the Latin “vinum optimum signatum” as well as “very old sherry” and VORS means “vinum optimum rare signatum” as well as “very old rare sherry.” These acronyms guarantee the wines will be awesome because the more time a sherry spends in barrel, the more complex and beguiling it becomes. In fact, these extraordinary wines weren’t even sold commercially in the past; they were only served to privileged members of the bodega family and friends.

On the topic of service, sherry never needs decanting regardless of style and is best served in smallish glasses. The classic form is the copita, which holds 120 ml in its elongated, tapered bowl designed to capture a wine’s bouquet. Snifters also work well for olorosos.

The next question: To chill or not to chill? Fino and manzanilla sherries taste best well chilled. All other styles from amontillado to oloroso are best served cellar temperature (10-13°C) and the better the sherry, the less you chill it.

Contrary to popular myth, sherry does not keep well. Once uncorked, delicate finos and manzanillas lose finesse quite quickly so it’s best to drink them in one sitting. Meanwhile, oxidized styles – amontillados, olorosos, and even Pedro Ximénez – can stay fresh for up to a week after uncorking but these too fade noticeably shortly thereafter. This is why half bottles are an excellent idea.

Even unopened, sherry won’t improve with time in bottle; it’s matured in barrel at the bodega and should be consumed as soon after bottling as possible. That means, if jolly old Saint Nick puts sherry in your stocking, don’t save it for next December to share – consider yourself lucky, then drink up.