What is fortified wine?

Fortified wine is wine to which alcohol (usually brandy) has been added. If you’ve ever had Port – you’ve had fortified wine. Most are enjoyed as an aperitif (prior to dinner) or after dinner, but this by no means infers you can’t have fun trying to pair a glass of fortified wine with a dish. Case in point – I had a great meal where we enjoyed a Blue Cheese soup which was served with a glass of Sherry. Divine

Wine was originally fortified as a means to an end to preserve it during long voyages. Alcohol is a natural preservative, and when added before the fermentation of wine is complete, it kills the yeast and leaves residual sugar behind. The end result is a wine that is both sweeter and stronger, normally containing about 20% alcohol by volume (ABV). Even though other preservation methods exist, fortification continues to be used because wine drinkers took a liking to this kind of wine.

Many different styles of fortified wine have been developed. The most popular ones are port, madeira, marsala, sherry, and vermouth.

Fortified wines should not be confused with spirits made from wine. Spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it.

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