How Sherry’s Drinker Demo Shifted From Grandparents to Gen Z

For many, the mention of sherry conjures images of grandparents enjoying a post-dinner tipple or a dusty bottle reserved for cooking. But this humble wine is experiencing a surprising resurgence, shedding its old-fashioned image and capturing new demographics of drinkers.

Here in Australia, establishments like Hunter Valley’s Iron Gate Kitchen and Sydney’s Gildas and Balcon by Tapavino are proudly showcasing diverse sherry selections. This trends echoes overseas sentiments, with Gil Avital, former wine director at now-closed NYC restaurants Tertulia and El Colmado, noting in 2024: “We’re seeing an openness to trying different sherries, especially among customers in their 20s and 30s, and that’s refreshing.”

Often perceived as uniformly sweet, sherry can, in fact, be dry too. Finos are the driest, while amontillados offer nutty richness and olorosos are robust, often paired with cold meats. The drink’s a fortified wine, which means it contains a distilled spirit and so has a higher alcohol content than many other wines. You can drink it neat or in a cocktail.

Several factors are fuelling sherry’s renewed popularity in Australia. Frank Dilernia, owner and director of Sydney’s Tapavino Group, says one reason is a new wave of bartenders embracing sherry for its depth and versatility in cocktails. They’re seeing it as a complex and distinctive ingredient.

“Another reason is that culinary travellers often want to recapture the flavours of their travels,” says Dilernia. “Also, restaurants are adopting more snack-style, tapas menus, which sherry thrives in.”

Affordability is another key factor, according to John Peter Terry, venue manager at Toki Bistro and Bar. He notes that sherry offers a higher alcohol content at a relatively accessible price point. “This makes it particularly appealing during the colder months,” Terry says.

Harrison Plant, Iron Gate Kitchen’s general manager, says sherry’s renewed buzz is owed to people looking for something a little different. Plant says he saw sherry popular in the Netherlands a few years, but that it’s only starting to catch on here.

The offering at his venue was curated to show how diverse this wine style is. Some of its sherries are crips and salty, others are nutty and round. They’re served alongside jamon, olives and charred octopus and, true to the stereotype, a burnt Basque cheesecake.

“We’re now pouring sherries alongside our seafood as they’ve always done in Spain,” says Plant. “And while we’re still experimenting, sherry’s also sneaking into cocktails with fresh, bright and interesting drinks that surprise people.”

Terry says the drink’s moving away from being served solely as an aperitif or digestif. It’s now making appearances mid-meal or in creative pairings, which is expanding its potential appeal. Sherry’s long been seen as an ‘older generation’s drink’, and many younger consumers aren’t familiar with what it is or why people drink.

“Wine trends often follow broader cultural movements — consumers today tend to gravitate toward approachable, easy-drinking styles and novel experiences,” says Terry. “For sherry to stay relevant, it needs to find resonance with a new generation of drinkers. It needs to shift away from its traditional associations and create approachable formats that let younger guests to discover it in a fresh context.”

Plant notes that winemakers in Jerez are doubling down on quality and also leaning into fresher styles. Summer sherry drinking is becoming a thing, especially in Spain. “Few wines come with a story as rich and are as surprisingly misunderstood as sherry,” he says.

“It’s been around for centuries, got a bit lost in translation somewhere along the way, and now it’s making a quiet but confident comeback.”

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