Most fortified wine is sweeter that regular wine, with an alcohol content upwards of 20%.
Then there is the damage done by United States wine companies, which marketed their so-called "bum wines" under the label of "fortified wine". This practice has since been curtailed by United States law, so now they're "dessert wines". It is unfortunate that respectable beverages such as Madeira, with a proud history in Portugal and favored by no less than Thomas Jefferson himself, would be restricted under the same laws that are put in place to keep homeless people from destroying themselves with dangerous substances purchased from unethical manufacturers, but that's how it goes.
The original reason for fortification was to preserve wines, as the higher alcohol level and additional sweetness help to preserve the wine when supplemental alcohol is added before fermentation finishes, it kills the yeast and leaves residual sugar.
Even though other preservation methods exist, the fortification process survives, as consumers have developed tastes for wines preserved this way. Many different wines styles have developed around the use of fortification in winemaking.
Muscat, the grapes used to make wine known variably as Muscato, Muscatel, or Moscadel, is also used to make brandies and other liquors.
While Muscat grapes and their products are relatively easy to come by anywhere in the world, given that they are also sold as regular snack grapes and used to make raisins, actual liquor made from Muscat is a rarer find. Of course, brandy is the main beverage which suits the definition of a liquor, but not all brandies are necessarily made with Muscat, as any grape wine will make brandy.
Two such liquors involving Muscat are pisco and metaxa. Pisco hails from South America while metaxa is Greek.
Pisco first made its appearance in the 16th century when Spanish settlers arrived in South America and began making distilled wine in clay pots. While it is made with Muscat, other grape varieties native to South America may be used and sometimes are blended. Pisco is popular in Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The favorite cocktail in that region is in fact the Pisco Sour.
As for metaxa, this is a Greek distilled spirit which is a blend of brandy and wine. The formula actually calls for four grape varieties, being Muscat along with Savatiano, Sultana and Black Corinth grapes. Metaxa has a very storied place in Greek history.
Madeira is the fortified Portuguese wine made in the Madeira Islands. It takes on a range of styles from dry to sweet, and are sold as either aperitif or dessert wines. Like New World wines, the types of Madeira are named after the varieties of grape used. The Malvasia variety makes the sweetest Madeira, then there are the Bual and Verdelho varieties, followed by Sercial, which makes the driest.
The history of fortified winemaking in Portugal goes back to the 15th century, when the Madeira Islands served as a port of call for explorers departing for or returning from the New World and the Mediterranean. Originally, wine that would be taken on sea voyages needed to have grape spirits added to it to help it keep. Other improvements to the process, such as heating it and oxidizing it, resulted in a wine that could withstand the toughest sea voyage - and incidentally create a wine that is very substantial, even maintaining its taste long after it has been opened.
The various types of Madeira, going by grape variety, are also subjected to different winemaking methods. The fermentation may be allowed to go through completely, or stop at various intervals to control the ratio of alcohol to sugar, and produce different flavors and consistencies. So don't assume that all Madeiras are alike!
Marsala is a type of fortified wine produced around the Italian island of Sicily. It is produced using the grape varieties Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto, and can have these in any blend. It is traditionally served as an aperitif, and is noted to go particularly well with Italian cheeses such as Parmesan and Gorgonzola, in a classic case of matching region with region.
Given Sicily's history and its strategic location in the Mediterranean, it comes as no surprise that Marsala, like Madeira, was created partly to be a sea-faring wine. By fortifying it and controlling the process, Marsala became a hearty wine that could go for a long time without spoiling and keep well even after the bottle is opened.
Marsala varieties are divided into specific classes depending on color and length of aging. Oro and Ambra are golden or amber and have a sweetener added. Rubino is like Oro and Ambra, but red. Fine Marsala has only been aged one year. Superiore is aged two years, Superiore Riserva four years, Vergine e/o Soleras for five years, and the rest are aged ten years.
Quite a bit of Italian food features Marsala as a key ingredient. It is used in risotto and zabaglione. It is also used as a base for a braising sauce for Chicken Marsala, and sometimes in sauce as well.
Sherry is the fortified wine produced in Spain, specifically in the "Sherry Triangle" area of Southern Spain. Like Champagne and Port, Sherry is an internationally protected term, so that only fortified wine made in this specific region of Spain may be labeled "Sherry". Like other fortified wines, Port is made with fermented grape with brandy added to it, then aged. Sherry may be made in any number of styles, ranging from the dry finos to the darker and sweeter olorosos.
The history of Sherry goes back to the years of 1100 B.C. when the ancient Phoenicians introduced wine to the land of Spain. Various historical developments led to the Moors occupying the region in 711 A.D. and introducing the practice of distillation, after which the practice of adding distilled brandy to fermented wine to help it keep longer was begun. Throughout history, Sherry is featured prominently in fiction, from the works of William Shakespeare to Edgar Allen Poe.
Like other fortified wines, Sherry was intentionally designed to withstand the tribulations of sea travel. Now, however, it is enjoyed for its own properties. The intricate process of aging Sherry involves a series of connected barrels in a solera system, so that each bottle of Sherry contains trace amounts of all the Sherry that has ever been produced. The minimum amount of time Sherry has aged is three years.
Vermouth is a variety of fortified wine which is enhanced by added spices and herbs, the exact names of which are often a matter of secrecy from one producer to another. Frequently the ingredients may be as many as forty, and may be herbs, roots, berries, seeds, and even blossoms. The French style is a dry vermouth which is light gold in color with a pleasing nutty flavor. Sweet Italian vermouth is red and richer in flavor, with a thicker consistency. There are also brown Italian vermouths which are quite bitter. Various other styles exist around the world.
Vermouth's most common use is in a mixer in drinks. The famous martini, for instance. Vermouth is also used as a cooking wine in some cases, but most varieties also make a perfectly good aperitif drink as well. Usually, however, the idea behind vermouth is to provide a flavored mixer for drinks or for spicing up a dish.
Vermouth was first made in the 1780s in Italy, where, as stories have it, it was inspired by the same kind of drinks related to Absinthe. This is supported by the fact that the German word "wermut" means both "wormwood" and "vermouth", and wormwood is of course the famous ingredient in Absinthe.
Please
contact us if you have any suggestions for our wine website.
Browse our
Wine Specials | View our
New Products | Join our
Wine Club Red Wine |
White Wine |
Champagne |
Rose Wine |
Sparkling |
Dessert Wine |
Fortified Wine
