WineGuessrWhite grape variety
Palomino
Also called Palomino Fino, Listán, Listán Blanco, Fransdruif
Palomino is a white grape from Andalusia, Spain, known as the main grape of sherry: about 90% of the grapes grown for sherry are Palomino. Its low acidity and neutral flavour suit flor aging and oxidative styles. Spain had 20,261 hectares in 2015.
| Color | White (green-skinned) |
|---|---|
| Origin | Andalusia, Spain |
| Body | Light to medium (as a table wine) |
| Acidity | Low |
| Typical aromas | almond, green apple, bread dough (flor), chamomile, saline, walnut (oxidative styles) |
| Key regions | Jerez (Andalusia, Spain), Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Andalusia, Spain), Condado de Huelva (Andalusia, Spain), Canary Islands (Spain), Galicia (Spain), South Africa |
Origin and history
Palomino is a Spanish grape closely tied to Andalusia and to the history of sherry. On its own it makes rather plain table wine, low in both acidity and sugar, and its juice oxidises quickly. These weaknesses for still wine turned out to be strengths for sherry, where the neutral base is shaped by flor yeast, oxidation and the solera system. In 2015 Spain had 20,261 hectares of Palomino, making it the country's fourth most planted white grape. It is also known as Listán, Listán Blanco in the Canary Islands, and Fransdruif or White French in South Africa.
Where it grows
The sherry area around Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María is its main home, producing Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda. There, about 90% of the grapes grown for sherry are Palomino, alongside Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel. Nearby, Condado de Huelva also uses it for fortified and table wines. Outside Andalusia it is widely grown in the Canary Islands and in Galicia, and there are plantings in Portugal's Douro, South Africa, Australia and California.
Taste, wine styles and food
Palomino is the base of almost every dry sherry, a fortified wine. Fino and Manzanilla age under a layer of flor yeast that protects them from oxygen and gives pale, bone-dry wines with almond, bread dough and saline notes. Amontillado starts under flor and then ages oxidatively, while Oloroso is aged without flor, turning amber with walnut and dried fruit flavours. Wines are blended across years in the solera, so most sherry carries no vintage. Fino and Manzanilla suit olives, almonds, jamón and fried fish; Oloroso suits game and aged cheese.
Wines made with Palomino (3)
WineGuessr lists 3 wines made with Palomino, all from Spain.
Palomino: questions and answers
What grape is sherry made from?
Most sherry is made from Palomino, which accounts for about 90% of the grapes grown for sherry. Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel are used mainly for sweet styles.
Is Listán Blanco the same as Palomino?
Yes. Listán Blanco is the name used for Palomino in the Canary Islands.
What is the difference between fino and manzanilla?
Both are dry sherries aged under flor yeast, usually from Palomino. Manzanilla is a fino-style wine aged in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Why is Palomino good for sherry?
Its low acidity and neutral flavour make it a blank canvas that flor yeast, oxidation and solera aging can shape.
Other white grapes
All grape varieties →Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.