This section is from the book "Beverages And Their Adulteration Origin, Composition, Manufacture, Natural, Artificial, Fermented, Distilled, Alkaloidal And Fruit Juices", by Harvey W. Wiley. Also available from Amazon: Beverages And Their Adulteration.
Everyone who is familiar at all with sherry knows the best quality of sherry wine is sold under the name of Amontillado. It is also a sherry wine of the fino group, and is a very distinct type of that group. A wine, however, is not entitled to be called Amontillado until it has acquired a considerable degree of age and has become transformed in its character by the secondary changes due to ageing. It is, therefore, characteristic of a wine which has entered well upon a distinct change due to ageing. The name Amontillado means "from Montilla" the town near which the wine is made.
 
Continue to: