Fortified wine

Fortified wine is a special kind of wine that has a strong spirit added to it. Usually, this spirit is brandy. Over many years, winemakers have made many different types of fortified wine. Some popular kinds include port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandaria wine, and vermouth. People enjoy these wines around the world for their unique flavors and histories.

Production

People add extra alcohol to wine to help it stay fresh. Even though there are other ways to keep wine fresh today, many still add this alcohol because it gives the wine special flavors.

The most common alcohol added to wine comes from grapes, but it can also come from grains, sugar beets, or sugarcane. Different places have different rules about what kinds of alcohol are allowed. The type of alcohol and how it is made can change the taste of the wine.

When extra alcohol is added before the wine is fully made, it stops tiny organisms called yeast from working. This leaves extra sugar in the wine, making it sweeter and stronger, usually about 20% alcohol. This process helps create different styles of fortified wines, like sherry.

Varieties

Commandaria wine

Main article: Commandaria

Commandaria is a special wine from Cyprus. It is made from special grapes called Mavro and Xynisteri. The grapes are dried in the sun and aged in wooden barrels. Some newer styles of Commandaria do not have extra alcohol added.

Madeira wine

Main article: Madeira wine

Madeira is a sweet wine from the Madeira Islands. It is made in many different ways, from dry wines you can drink by themselves to sweet wines you enjoy with dessert. The wine is heated and aged in a special way, giving it unique flavors and a long shelf life.

Marsala wine

Main article: Marsala wine

Marsala wine comes from Sicily. It was first made in 1772 by an English merchant named John Woodhouse. Marsala can be made with or without added alcohol. When alcohol is added, it is mixed with a type of strong wine called brandy. There are two main types: Fine, which is younger, and Superiore, which is older and stronger.

Mistelle

Mistelle is a mix of grape juice and alcohol. It is used to make some fortified wines like Vermouth, Marsala, and Sherry. Adding alcohol stops the fermentation process, making the wine sweeter.

Moscatel de Setúbal

Main article: Setúbal DOC

Moscatel de Setúbal is a sweet Portuguese wine from the area around Setúbal Municipality. It is made mostly from a special grape called Muscat of Alexandria and is usually mixed with a strong alcohol called aguardente.

Port wine

Main article: Port wine

Port wine is a sweet red wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It also comes in dry, semi-dry, white, and rosé styles.

Sherry

Main article: Sherry

Sherry is a white wine made near the town of Jerez in Spain. After the wine is made, strong alcohol called brandy is added to stop the fermentation. Sherry comes in many styles, from dry and light to dark and sweet.

Vermouth

Main article: Vermouth

Vermouth is a wine mixed with special herbs and spices, giving it a unique flavor. Some common herbs used are cardamom, cinnamon, marjoram, and chamomile. Vermouth can be sweet or dry.

Vins doux naturels

Main article: Vin doux naturel

Vins doux naturels are sweet wines from the south of France. They are made from white Muscat grapes or red Grenache grapes. Strong alcohol is added to stop the fermentation process. This keeps the wine sweet and fresh.

Vins de liqueur

Main article: Vin de liqueur

Vins de liqueur are sweet French wines made by adding brandy to unfermented grape juice. This makes the wine sweeter and gives it strong flavors. Examples include Floc de Gascogne, made from armagnac and grape juice.

Gwaha-ju

Main article: Gwaha-ju

Gwaha-ju is a special kind of rice wine from Korea. Though not made from grapes, it is strengthened with a distilled spirit called soju and other ingredients like ginseng, jujubes, and ginger.

Terminology

Fortified wines are sometimes called dessert wines in the United States because this name makes them sound less strong. In France, they are known as vins de liqueur.

According to rules set by the European Union, a liqueur wine is a type of fortified wine. It must have between 15–22% alcohol by volume (abv) and meet some other special rules. Some special high-quality liqueur wines have their own exceptions to these rules.