Fortified Wines

These are wines made with addition of spirits to raise the alcohol content. The greatest are Port from the Douro region of Portugal, and Sherry from a region of Andalusia in southern Spain. Since wines in other countries are labeled as port, true Portuguese is now labeled

Madeira

Madeira is probably the most indestructible wine in the world. Historically the wines were fortified with alcohol, and then shipped by boat across the tropics in long sea journeys. This cooking-what else can you call it?-yielded the wine we call Madeira. Nowadays the wine is either artificially heated or, for the best, stored in hot attics. It's abused. And it's delicious. The wine's name comes from the name of the island, a Portuguese possession in the Atlantic about 625 miles from Portugal. Negra Mole, Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malvasia are the major grape varieties.

Marsala

Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, made on the model of Port. Modern Marsala comes in three colors: Gold (Oro), Amber, and Ruby (Rubino). Each color comes in dry (Secco), semi-dry (Semisecco) and sweet versions. There are also five further types based on cask-aging: 1 year (Fine), 2 year (Superiore), 3 year (Superiore Riserve), 5 year (Vergine), and 10 year (Stravecchio).

Port

Port is a sweet fortified wine from the grapes growing on the deep valley walls sloping down to the Douro River in Portugal. Its name coming from Oporto, Port is made from up to about 40 grape varieties, most of which are red. After a brief fermentation to about 6% alcohol, the still fermenting grape must is poured off into larger containers holding spirit, which kills the yeast and stops fermentation. The young wine is then shipped from the vineyards to the Port houses in Oporto, where it stays in barrel for a year or two. At that time a "vintage" can be declared, and the Port bottled with a vintage designation. This Port virtually demands 15 or 20 years of bottle age. In order to have Port that is enjoyable at purchase or shortly after purchase, there are other "wood-aged" Ports, which have spend more time in cask. These can be young "Ruby" Ports, aged "Tawny" Ports (which will sometimes average up to 40 years in cask), and "Late Bottled Vintage" Ports. Port traditionally accompanies walnuts and stilton cheese.

Sherry

Sherry is a fortified wine from the area around Jerez, Spain ("Sherry" being the anglicized corruption of the word "Jerez"). Made primarily from the Palomino grape, Sherry is another of the world's great expressions of chalky soil (along with Chablis, Burgundy, and some Loire wines). With non-vintage Champagne, Sherry is also one of the great expressions of the blender's art. In the Sherry Bodegas, fractional blending systems called Soleras, ensure a style of wine uniform from vintage to vintage. In the finest of these, space is left in the barrels of the solera for a special yeast called "flor" to develop and thrive. Sherries run from completely dry, light "finos" to nutty "amontillado" (remember "The Cask of Amontillado"?) to rich "oloroso." The latter two are often sweetened and sold as cream sherry or other proprietary brands. Interestingly, because of the fortification and the exposure to air-Sherry essentially being oxidized already!-an open bottle of Sherry will last almost indefinitely. Sherry is the perfect wine for tapas.

Vermouth

Even though Vermouth is practically married to Gin, Vermouth is a fortified wine and not spirit. Because Vermouth is flavored with herbs, it is often not necessary to start out with fine wine. But some producers do use good quality wine as a base. It is made in as many different styles as there are producers.