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Tapas bars and restaurants are springing up around the country. American diners have discovered that these often savory little servings of food are fun to share and fit right in with our grazing lifestyle. While we Americans have embraced this culinary pleasure from Spain, we tend to ignore another of Spain's palate pleasers—sherry.

To many Americans, sherry is that sweet, syrupy dark-brown drink sipped from a tiny glass by an elderly grandmother or aunt. That is, however, a far cry from the pale, bone-dry fino sherry Spaniards love and drink much as others drink white wines.

Sherry, a wine which has been fortified by the addition of alcohol, comes in many styles to suit just about any occasion:

Fino is the palest and driest of all sherries. Light gold to straw-colored, it's best served chilled and is an appropriate and popular substitute for Chardonnay or other white wines at dinner time (especially if the menu includes spicy foods). It's also a delicious aperitif.

Amontillado is basically an aged fino. Gold to amber in color, it's a medium-dry wine served chilled. It's a good accompaniment to soup, especially when the soup has a dash of Amontillado in it.

Oloroso is the most full-bodied sherry and has a rich, mellow flavor. A true Oloroso is almost dry and should be drunk at cool room temperature. When blended with the sweeter Pedro Ximenez grape, however, it becomes a delicious dessert and after-dinner wine.

Cream sherry, widely advertised around the Christmas holidays, is an Oloroso fortified with Pedro Ximenez. Sweet and aromatic, it has a dark, velvety brown or gold color. It can be served at room temperature or on the rocks and goes especially well with sweets.

Fino is the most popular sherry in Spain and is great with tapas. The word tapas means lid and the story goes that bartenders in Andalusia would place a tiny plate of olives or a slice of bread and ham on top of the glass of sherry to keep off the files. Soon many different versions of tapas evolved and tapas bars spread throughout Spain and major cities throughout the world.

Often called the spirit of Spain in small dishes, tapas are never sweet, but always bite-sized savories. Here are a few favorites. The recipes were provided by Harvey's, the world's largest producer of sherry.

SHRIMP IN SHERRY AND GARLIC SAUCE

4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
8 large shrimp in their shells
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 tablespoons dry cocktail sherry
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Remove shrimp from their shells. Heat oil in large skillet and saute shrimp, turning over halfway through cooking. Cook only until shrimp become firm and pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and keep warm. Lower the heat. Add crushed garlic to the oil, then gradually add sherry one tablespoon at a time. Stir and let the sauce bubble to reduce a little bit.

Return shrimp to the pan, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve piping hot with crusty bread to sop up the juices. Makes 2 servings. Recipe can be doubled.

MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Meatballs:
2 slices white bread (about 2 ounces) with crusts removed
½ pound extra lean minced beef or pork
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Flour for rolling out meatballs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Tomato Sauce:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound fresh tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup dry cocktail sherry
Freshly chopped parsley

Tear bread in pieces. Soak in water for a few minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid.
Mix all ingredients for meatballs together until the mixture is a smooth paste. Put on floured board and divide into 24 equal sized balls. Heat the oils in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the meatballs until browned on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon, reserving oil and juices; drain and set aside.

To make the sauce, fry onion in remaining oil and meat juices until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and sherry. Allow sauce to bubble and thicken, stirring occasionally. Put meatballs back in sauce and cook gently for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 24 meatballs.

MARINATED SWEET PEPPERS

4 sweet red or green bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roast peppers for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once. Allow to cool slightly. Remove skin, core and seed. Cut flesh into bite-sized chucks; place in bowl. Mix garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar and chopped parsley; pour over peppers. Marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour or over night. Makes 4 servings.

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