1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Sherry

SHERRY, originally the name of wine coming from Xeres (Jerez de la Frontera), near Cadiz, Spain, and now the general name of the strong white wines, the lower grades excepted, which are made in the south of Spain (see Wine). The early form of the word in English was “sherris” (abbreviated from “sherris-wine” or “sherris-sack”), which was taken to be a plural, and “sherry” was formed as a singular by mistake.