What is fortified wine?
The alcoholic content of certain wines is increased by up to 22% with the addition of grape spirit, either during fermentation or at the end of fermentation. Such wines are termed fortified wine or heavy wine.
Types of Fortified Wines
1. Sherry
Sherry comes from the ‘Jerez’ district in the south of Spain, which includes the towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera, and Puerto de Santa Maria. The word ‘Sherry’ is an anglicization of Jerez.
Types of grapes used in sherry preparation:
- Palomino.
- Moscatel.
Types of Sherry
- Fino
- Manzanilla
- Amontillado
- Olorosso
- Amoroso’s
- Palo cortado
- Cream
2. Port
Port is one of the great fortified wines, produced from the grapes grown in the Upper Douro Valley of Northern Portugal. This style of wine was introduced accidentally.
Types of Port
Port is divided into two main categories:
- Wood port
- Vintage port (bottom port)
3. Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese fortified wine that comes from the island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. During the eighteenth century, the wines were shipped to Britain from her colonies.
The wines were heated during the sea voyage, which developed a mellow, burned flavor and improved their quality. This gave birth to Madeira wine.
Types of Madeira
- Serial
- Verdelho
- Buel
- Blends
- Malmsey
4. Marsala
Marsala is also a fortified wine type that comes from northwest Sicily, taking its name from the name of a town in that area.
Types of Marsala
- Marsala Fine
- Marsala Superiore
- Marsala Speciale
- Marsala Vergine
- Vergine Stravecchio or Vergine Riserva
5. Malaga
Malaga is a sweet fortified wine that comes from Malaga on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. The main grape used in its production is Pedro Ximénez. It is produced from grapes dried on straw mats in the sun.
Types of Malaga
- Malaga noble.
- Malaga añejo
- Dorado or golden.
- Oscuro or brown
- Dry pale or pale dry
- Pale cream
- Sweet
Also read: What is Still Wine: Production Process and Its Brands
