Fortified Wine

What is fortified wine and how is it made? Some wines are classified as fortified because their alcohol has been strengthened, or fortified, by adding a high-alcohol spirit (brandy) to the wine. The most famous are Port, Sherry, Marsala and Madeira.

Why did people start fortifying their wine? To stabilize them and preserve them for shipping/travel (started by British merchants who shipped the wine long distances as they built the British wine trade).

If a spirit is added during fermentation, as in Port, the spirit will raise the alcohol content to a level at which fermentation will stop (around 15%) which means that not all sugars will have turned into alcohol leaving the port sweet. If the spirit is added after fermentation, as in Sherry, the sugars in the grape juice are all converted to alcohol, producing a dry wine. It can be sweetened later in the process if necessary.

Fortified wines are often used as an aperitif with nuts, olives and cheese or as an after dinner drink. If the fortified wine is sweet it is often a wonderful match to a variety of desserts. If you are serving a dessert and want the perfect wine match, just ask and we'll help you pick it out.

Check out our selection of port, sherry, madeira, and marsala at www.traderiverwinery.com/wine