Tell people that Sherry is like Champagne without the bubbles and you will elicit reactions somewhere between confusion and contempt.

Imbued with good taste and often with a price tag to match, Champagne is tied to celebrations, while isn’t Sherry the sweet tipple your grandmother imbibed out of a jug under the kitchen sink? Maybe for some, but a comparison of the spectacular, fortified sherry wines of Valdespino alongside some favorite Champagnes illustrates that the two have more in common than expected.