AN AWARD-WINNING tapas restaurant in Cowbridge and Penarth has seen its sherry sales soar following the first International Sherry Week (ISW).

Bar 44, which had it'sCowbridge restaurant chosen as the Good Food Guide’s Wales Restaurant of the Year, is selling more than 200 glasses of sherry a week, more than double the quantity it sold prior to the event in June.

As one of two UK ambassadors for ISW, Bar 44 co-founder Owen Morgan hosted a week-long celebration of sherry promotion and education, which included daily pairing menus, free tasters, sherry flights and tasting events.

Sales of sherry increased by more than 100 per cent during the week seeing the bars go through 200 bottles of sherry.

Takeaway sales of sherry saw a big spike during that week too, with more than 30 bottles being purchased from the bar for customers to enjoy at home with food.

Since then sales have remained high, with increased uptake of sherry related cocktails and people pairing glasses of sherry with particular dishes on the menu and specials board.

Owen, who is a certified sherry educator, said: “As an educator and lover of sherry, being a big part of ISW was an absolute must for me. We saw it as the ideal vehicle to launch a huge week of sherry promotion and education.

“The response was staggering. The amount of people trying and enjoying sherry for the first time was unprecedented. People young and old had their preconceived opinions about sherry challenged and changed. We had a record week for sherry sales, selling more in a week than we would in a normal month and the momentum and interest has continued with sales soaring across both bars.”

In recent years, sherry has undergone a remarkable renaissance in global trend-setting cities like New York and London. Last year Marks & Spencer reported a 33 per cent increase in sherry sales, with most customers being under the age of 45.

Owen added: “I am not surprised that supermarkets have seen a rise in their sherry sales. Sherry is the only type of wine which can actually be paired with any type of food, which is why we have such an extensive list at our restaurants. We’re also seeing a much younger market ordering a dry sherry today which demonstrates how the drink’s appeal is rapidly growing. It’s great that sherry is shrugging off its unfashionable image.

“In the lead up to Christmas, we’re confident that this demand for sherry will continue, as a drink traditionally associated with the festive season, and bottles will be included in our Christmas hampers which are always a hit for those looking for an alternative Christmas gift.”

Coinciding with Jerez (Sherry region) winning the title of European Wine City 2014, International Sherry Week was designed in consultation with the regulatory council of Sherry Wines to support the promotion of Sherry worldwide.

Over the week from June 2-8, sherry became a global talking-point with news of the event reaching more than 2 million people on Twitter. Over 2,000 daily events took place in 22 countries attracting more than 100,000 professionals and aficionados. Participating countries included Spain, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Finland, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Russia, Holland, Hong Kong, South Africa and Japan.