The English writer Jan Read makes the case for sherry concisely and persuasively when he writes: "A glass of chilled fino remains the most satisfactory preliminary to a meal and the least likely to interfere with what follows."

Though a few champagne lovers might quibble, sherry does refresh and stimulate the palate and the appetite very effectively. But even in this period of unprecedented experimentation by consumers of wine and spirits, sherry -- which can be light or dark and dry or sweet -- remains underappreciated and misunderstood.

That is due to the relative paucity of Spanish restaurants in this country (sherry is indigenous to Spain) as well as the disservice done sherry by mass-market producers who supply bartenders with dull sherries of indifferent quality under a confusing array of names. Consumers might also allow a partially empty bottle of fino, the most delicate of sherries, to wither at room temperature. (Once open, a fino should be stored in a refrigerator, served chilled and not be allowed to linger.)

But things are changing. The increasing popularity of light and informal dining in this country has created a demand for tapas, the snack foods customarily served in Spanish bars and taverns, and an opportunity to sell sherry or other Spanish wines to accompany them.

Before ordering, however, the uninitiated will benefit from knowing some sherry lore and the various forms the wine takes.

True sherry comes from a vineyard region in southwest Spain near Cadiz and centered on the town of Jerez de la Frontera, or Jerez (Anglicized into "sherry") for short. The region's two dominant grapes are both white: the palomino (for dry sherries) and the Pedro Ximenez (for sweet sherries). Initial vinification of both is standard, as for white wines. Their transformation into sherry begins with the addition of a spirit to raise the alcohol level from the normal 12 to 14 degrees to 16 to 18. It is aged in contact with the air, a process that would quickly ruin most other wines. But instead of oxidizing, the palomino wines form a protective layer of yeast called a flor. More strongly fortified, the Pedro Ximenez wines form less flor and take on a darker color and deeper flavor.

Another distinction is that the barrels of sherry are stored in a tiered configuration called a solera. The oldest wines are on the bottom, with barrels of progressively younger wines stored above them. Sherry for bottling is drawn from only the bottom barrel. This bottom barrel is refilled from the barrel above it, and that barrel in turn is refilled from the one above it, and so on. Thus there are no vintage sherries because every barrel -- except those in the most recent, or topmost, tier of a solera -- contains a mix from various years.

Sherries are also classified according to sweetness. Fino ("fine") is very dry and relatively light. Amontillado (from the town of Montilla) is dry or semidry and is fuller, golden brown and notably nutty. These two categories go well with soups and appetizers as well as with tapas. And oloroso ("fragrant") is dark, rich and sweet (with a few exceptions, intended for connoisseurs) and provides the cream sherries served with or after dessert.

In addition to the sherries available in Spanish restaurants, Printer's Row restaurant in Chicago has been matching appetizers with several sherries, and chef Allen Sternweiler has created a recipe that pairs sherry with scallops.

Scallops poached with sherry and saffron

Makes 2 appetizer servings

1/3 pound (5 ounces) sea scallops

salt (kosher is preferred) and freshly ground pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons couscous, cooked by package directions

1 cup medium-dry oloroso sherry

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 pinches saffron

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cooked artichoke heart, quartered

1 tablespoon chopped black olives

6 orange segments

1 teaspoon chopped marjoram

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1/4 roasted red bell pepper, cut in julienne strips

1 1/2 ounces prosciutto, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Allow scallops to come to room temperature, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide couscous between two soup bowls and keep warm in the oven.

In a small saucepan, combine sherry, broth, saffron, garlic, tomato, artichoke quarters and olives. Bring wine to a simmer, add scallops and, when wine returns to a simmer, cover pan and poach scallops for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until they're cooked medium-rare or medium.

Remove cover and stir in orange segments, marjoram, parsley, roasted pepper, prosciutto and olive oil. Simmer 1 minute, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately with the sherry used for cooking or a fresh, fruity, young red wine.

Blue cheese with sherry

Makes 12 to 16 servings

1 tablespoon oloroso sherry

1/2 pound blue-veined cheese, Spanish cabrales preferred, at room temperature

several grinds of pepper

12 to 16 thin slices of French bread, toasted, or cheese crackers

Combine cheese, sherry and pepper in a bowl. Use a fork to mash and mix the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours.

Spread cheese mixture on toasted bread and arrange on a tray or transfer mixture to a serving bowl and surround the bowl with bread or crackers and a knife for self-service. Serve with amontillado.

Mantecados (cinnamon sand cakes)

Makes 12 to 15 cakes

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup blanched almonds

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the flour on a baking sheet and toast until lightly colored -- about 8 to 10 minutes. Toast the almonds in the oven until very lightly browned, about 12 minutes, then grind them to a powder in a blender. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.

Beat the butter with the sugar and cinnamon until creamy, then mix in the flour and almonds. Turn the dough onto a work surface -- it is incredibly crumbly. Pat into a mass about 1/2 -inch thick, then cut out with a 2-inch cookie cutter. Transfer the cookies carefully to a greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Move carefully after baking as they are very fragile.

Serve with fruit, ice cream and a sweet oloroso.

*

This next recipe requires the use of a flavor injector fitted with a needle and requires at least 8 hours of marination.

Sherry-flavored chicken

Makes 4 servings

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)

1/3 to 1/2 cup medium-dry oloroso sherry, plus 1/2 cup

1/3 to 1/2 cup fino sherry

salt and pepper

1/2 cup sherry-wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

At least 8 hours before cooking (or the day before), clean the chicken and use a flavor injector fitted with a needle to inject it with the sherries, making several punctures. Inject the oloroso into the breast and wing and the fino into the legs. Turn chicken over to inject back of thighs. Cover and refrigerate until 1 hour before cooking.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rub the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper, reserving any sherry and juices that drained from the chicken. Place chicken in a roasting pan (without a rack), breast side up, and bake for 45 minutes. Chicken should be slightly underdone. Transfer to a carving board and cut into 4 serving pieces.

Spoon off most of the fat in the roast pan. Add vinegar and deglaze pan over high heat; transfer vinegar and drippings to a skillet or casserole large enough to hold the chicken quarters. Cook vinegar down to a glaze; add stock and reserved sherry and chicken juices and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add cream and remaining 1/2 cup oloroso and boil over medium heat to reduce by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add quartered chicken and its juices to the skillet, turning to coat with the sauce. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken to a serving platter or plates. If sauce seems thin, boil to reduce it to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, then pour over chicken and serve with a fruity red such as Gran Sangre de Toro.

(Adapted from "The Spanish Table," by Marimar Torres.)