Sack

Sack wine meaning

Sack (sometimes historically spelled as sac wine) was the predominant English term used from the 16th to 18th centuries to describe fortified wines imported from Spain, most notably what we now know as Sherry from the Jerez region. This historic sack drink was primarily a fortified Spanish wine; the word derives from the Spanish saca, meaning “extraction” or “export,” referring to wines drawn from solera systems for shipment. Sack typically had an alcohol content of 15-20% due to fortification with grape brandy, making it stable for long sea voyages to England. The most prized variety was Sherris-sack (from Jerez), though the term also encompassed similar wines from the Canary Islands (Canary sack) and Málaga. These wines were often sweetened and became fashionable among English nobility and merchants. William Shakespeare frequently referenced sack in his plays, with Sir John Falstaff’s fondness for the beverage helping cement its cultural significance. The term gradually fell out of use during the 18th century as “Sherry” became the preferred designation. Sack represented England’s earliest systematic wine import trade and played a crucial role in developing English palates for fortified wines, influencing drinking customs and social rituals that persisted for centuries.

What is a wine sack?

A wine sack typically refers to a bota bag, a traditional Spanish liquid receptacle made of leather. This is completely different from the historical fortified sack of wine, which was an old English name for Sherry-like Spanish wine.