Service of Sherry in Britain - a rant/prayer!

If there's one thing that puts people off a wine, it is when it is not properly served. Warm oxidised Sherry is not a pleasant drink, especially when bar staff often don't even know what measure or even glass to use. Bars all have the correct glasses for beer, spirits and table wine, which enhance their characteristics, especially when they are usually served at the right temperature. So what about Sherry?! (Or Port for that matter)

Very many bar staff are part timers or students, or both, and have no knowledge of or interest in drinks; they are there to earn their digs money. They are only trained to use the ever more complicated tills and in basic licensing law. Many bar managers have no drinks training either. They rely on the fact that most of their customers are equally ignorant and only ask for beer and spirits. Some don't even know that Sherry is a wine!! What a sad state of affairs!

Customers who would like a fresh Manzanilla or Fino are fobbed off with tired warm oxidised stuff that has been sitting on the gantry for ever. The inevitable result is that nobody will ask for Sherry in a bar and instead buy it at a wine merchant and take it home. The bar has thus lost a customer. Many a time and oft I have asked a barman to please put the Tio Pepe (which it usually is) in the fridge, explaining why, and the next time I visit the bar, there it is still on the gantry.

What's to be done? Well, more people should ask for FRESH CHILLED Sherry and explain that they want it served in a copita glass, not one of those useless, stupid Elgin nipped waist things. They should complain when this can't be done - it is not hard for bars to get that together, surely. The Sherry suppliers could help too by offering pubs free copitas which only cost pennies (and often have their brand on the glass) and advising on Sherry service. And the bar managers could help (not just Sherry) by doing their job and learning something and training their staff. Bar owners could help by offering staff some education.

PLEEAASE can the on trade do something? It is so easy!