Fortified Wines

The alcoholic content of certain wines is increased up to 22 per cent with the
addition of grape spirit, either during fermentation or at the end of fermentation.
Such wines are termed as fortified wines or heavy wines

TYPES OF FORTIFIED WINES

• Sherry • Port • Madeira • Marsala • Malaga
 Types of Wines
If the grape spirit is added during fermentation, it brings the fermentation
process to a halt retaining some of the sugar unconverted to alcohol.
This results in sweet fortified wine. Port is produced this way.
In the preparation of certain fortified wines, grape spirit is added after
fermentation when the entire sugar is converted to alcohol, resulting in a dry
fortified wine. Sherry is produced in this manner.
Sherry is one of the examples of the most demanded fortified wines and is
often preferred as aperitif and dessert wine.
Port is a traditional accompaniment with the blue-veined cheese, Stilton, and
is also served as a dessert wine.
Both sherry and port have earned their places in all wine lists.
 Sherry
Sherry comes from ‘Jerez’ district in the south of Spain and it includes the town
of Sanlucar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera, and Puerto de Santa Maria.
The word ‘sherry’ is an anglicization of Jerez

Production of sherry
Following are the grapes used in Production of Sherry
Palomino - Almost 90 per cent of all sherry is produced from Palomino grapes.
Pedro Ximinex (PX) - It is used for making sweet sherries mid also for
sweetening and colouring the wine before bottling.
Moscatel - It is used for sweetening and colouring the sherries, mid also for
producing inexpensive sweet (dessert) sherries.
.
 Sherry(Continue..)

Soon after pressing, the fresh grape juice is taken to the nearby bodegas where
it is placed in wooden barrels, called butts, for fermentation.
The bodegas are specially designed buildings for the production of sherry.
They have high, arched ceilings, and windowed walls for good air circulation,
which keeps the area cool.
The Floors are sprinkled with water to maintain the humidity.
 The temperature throughout the bodega should remain constant and the air
moist. The fermentation lasts for about three months
After fermentation, all sherries are dry white wine with 10-14 % Alcohol.
Grape brandy is added to the wine bringing the alcoholic strength to 15-16 %.
 Sherry(Continue..)
This new young wine is called as ‘anada’.
This is then stored in wooden barrels with a lose stopper to encourage oxidation
by allowing the air to invade.
 It is observed and tasted carefully and classified as either fino or olorosso.
• Fino - is very pale, delicate, and dry
• Olorosso - is dark and heavy
This classification is done by the nature and not by the producer depending on the
formation of dense, white, frothy yeast, called ‘flor’.
No one can predict which casks will have the formation of flor and which will not.
It still remains unanswered why casks containing wine, pressed from the same
grapes at the same time from the same vineyard, develop differently.
 Sherry(Continue..)
The formation of flor may occur within 18-24 months after fortification during
the storage.
It restricts the air interacting with the wine and prevents it from oxidation, thus,
keeping it pale and delicate. This wine is known as ‘fino’.
The wine destined to become olorosso does not develop natural flor.
The air invades the wine oxidizing it and making it dark and heavy. This type of
sherry is known as olorosso.
In some barrels, wine develops flor, but it is thinner than that of fino and dies
after 2 or 3 years.
This flor settles at the bottom of the cask, giving third category of sherry called
amontillado.
Amontillado allows light oxidation which contributes slightly fuller and darker
sherry than fino but not as dark and heavy as olorosso.
It is between fino and olorosso.
 Solera System

Once the sherries are classified, they are placed in the solera system, which is designed to
age and blend sherry and to ensure consistent quality and style.
 Each category of sherry has its own solera, which is a network of large barrels through
which the wine passes during the ageing process.
The barrels contain 2/3rd wines.
The solera has several rows of identical barrels (butts), each holding 130 gallons.
 Solera System (Continue..)

Each row is termed as scale or criadera and the number of criaderas in a system
is not fixed. There may be 13-14 criaderas in the system.
The bottom row of barrels, termed as solera, contains the oldest sherry and the
top most criadera is topped with new wine ‘anada’.
At the time of bottling, up to 1 /3rd of the wine is drawn from each barrel in the
bottom row of the solera and subsequently, the barrels ate replenished with wine
drawn from the barrels of the first criadera (the second scale)
The second criadera (the third scale) is topped with wine from the third
criadera (fourth scale), and so on, up to the top row with anada taken from the
original barrel.
This method is also termed as running the scale, which eliminates any noticeable
differences from year to year.
This system makes anada take on the characteristics and qualities ol old wine
when it is bottled
 Solera System (Continue..)

The wine drawn from the solera undergoes further treatment of fining to
make it clear and bright.
It is carried out traditionally by mixing the beaten egg white into the wine
which coagulates and settles to the bottom, taking all the impurities along
with it.
The wine is then racked to remove the sediments.
It is then sweetened and coloured with Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Muscatel
wine and the alcohol level is adjusted to 16-20 per cent by adding neutral
grape brandy, depending on the style produced.
Since most of the sherries are sold under a brand name, it is essential to
maintain the consistency of the product each year.
To achieve the uniformity, wines of several soleras are blended before
bottling.
Sherries are produced and marked in many styles
 Types of Sherries

Following are the types of sherry:

Fino
It is a pale, straw coloured, light, and very dry sherry, with 15.5-16 % alcohol.
It is served chilled and is often preferred as an aperitif wine.
Manzanilla
This is the palest, lightest, and the driest of all sherries. It is produced in the
coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda and has a salty tang of the sea air. The
alcoholic content is similar to that of fino.
Amontillado
It is amber yellow in colour with a dry, nutty flavour, and about 16.5-18 %
alcohol. It may be served at room temperature, chilled, or on the rocks,
depending on the taste preference of the customers.
 Types of Sherries
Olorosso
In Spanish, oloroso means ‘fragrant’. These sherries have the strongest fragrance of all
the sherries. They are bone dry, dark in colour, and full-bodied. It has an alcohol
strength of 20 %.
Amorosos
It is the traditional name for a smooth, sweet oloroso. Sweetened oloroso of good
quality improves in bottle, ending up with a bitter-sweet or dry finish. It is also termed
as cream sherry.
Palo cortado
It is between oloroso and amontillado in style. It is very rare. It contains 18-21 %
alcohol.
Cream
It is a smooth, full, sweetish wine made by blending oloroso with a sweetening wine
made from Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel.
 Shippers of Sherry
Shippers are exporters or importers
The best sherry shipper are as Follows:

- Croft
- Valdespino
- Pedro Domecq
- Williams & Humbert
- Gonzalez Byass
- Duff Gordon
- John Harvey and Sons
- Osborne
- Bodegas Internacionales
- Terry
- Lustau
- Antonio Barbadillo
- Sandeman
- Zoilo Ruiz- Mateos
 Port (Porto)
Port is one of the great fortified wines, produced from the grapes grown in
Upper Douro valley on Northern Portugal.
This style of wine was introduced accidently.
 The Methuan Treaty of 1703 between British and Portuguese governments
included shipping of wines to England. I
n order to stabilize and preserve the quality of wine during the sea voyage,
some quality of Brandy was added to the wine.
Now adding the brandy during fermentation has become a practice as it also
kills the yeasts and retains some sugar.
The important step in making the port is the rapid extraction of Colour from
the grapes and introducing the grape spirit at the appropriate stage to bring
fermentation to a halt and retain sugar.
 Port (Porto) Continue..
There are about 40 varieties of grapes grown in the quintas (wine estates) of
Douro region for making port wine.
The grapes are harvested towards the end of September and are taken to the
Shipper’s or Producers ‘lodge’ located in the Douro valley for pressing and
fermenting.
The shippers buy the grapes from the same vineyards every year to ensure
consistency in the quality.
The grapes are the gently pressed. Traditionally, the grapes are foot pressed, as
this type of pressing gently squeezes the skins to extract colour and the required
tannin.
Foot pressing squeezes the skin without crushing the pips and releasing their
bitter oils into the must.
Due to the increased cost of Labour, this practice is used only by the top
quality port producers.
 Port (Porto) Continue..
The juice of the grapes is transferred to large vats for fermentation.
Sugar is converted to alcohol and the colour is extracted from the skins.
When the wine receives enough colour and the sugar content has fallen to
between 8.5° and 6° Baume
The half fermented wine is drawn off and mixed with predetermined quantity
of grape spirit which stops further fermentation by killing the yeasts.
The ratio of wine to grape spirit is 4:1 that is Four parts of wine is mixed one
part of grape spirit. This result in sweet fortified wine called Port.
The new fortified wine is transported to Vila Nova de Gaia across the river
from the town Oporto for further maturation and blending.
The quality of wines are tested and certified by Instituto do Vinho do Porto
(Port Wine Institute) and it also keeps the record of port wines produced and
stored at lodges.
 Types of Port
Port is divided into two main categories.
Wood Ports These ports are matured in oak casks and are ready to drink after they
have been bottled.
Vintage Port (Bottle Port) These wines mature in the bottle after keeping it in oak
casks for a few years.

Wood Port
Following are some of the styles and their characteristics of wood ports.
Ruby
It is the youngest and the cheapest red ports made by blending wines from more than
one year.
It is matured in wood for about five years until it becomes ruby (reddish) in Colour.
It is and inexpensive port. It should be consumed within two years from the date of
bottling.
 Types of Port
Tawny Port
It is made by blending ports and maturing them in casks for seven years.
Some tawny ports are mature in wood for 10, 20, 30 or over 40 years and this
is indicated on the label.
Port loses body, gains softness, becomes increasingly pale in colour, and
slightly drier during the ageing. It is an expensive port.
There are inexpensive tawny port also and those are made by blending white
ports with ruby ports.
White Port
It is made from white grapes and is pale gold in colour. It is dry in taste and
suitable for apertifs
 Types of Port
Colheita Port
These are tawny ports made from single vintage instead of different years.
As per law, it should be matured in wood for a minimum of seven years and it
may be aged upto 60 years.
The date of Vintage and date of bottling will be stated on the label

Vintage Port (Bottle Port)

Following are some of the styles and characteristics of vintage or bottle ports.
Crusted Port
It is a blended port that has been bottled after five or six years of wood ageing
and then stored until it throws a crust.
It spends atleast seven years in Bottle.
 Types of Port
Late bottled vintage (LBV)
It is a wine from a single year and blended from wines from a number of
estates.
It is aged in casks for 4-6 years and is ready for drinking after bottling.
It does not require decanting. The label carries the information on the date
of vintage and the year of bottling

Vintage Character Port (VCP)

This port is a blend of good quality ruby ports of more than one year.
It is aged for about four years and is ready to drink soon after bottling.
 Types of Port (Continue..)
Vintage Port Vintage year is declared when the shipper or manufacturers of port
believe that their wine is of excellent quality and it can qualify for vintage status.
Samples are sent to Instituto do Cinho do Porto for approval and the shipper
declares the vintage after getting the approval.
 This wine is mature in casks for two to three years and is aged in bottles for 20
years and sometimes more than 40 years.
A white splash is put on the bottle to identify the position in which it is stored.
The vintage is stored in the same position without disturbing the sediments.
The cork of vintage port carries the name of the shipper and the date of the
vintage.
It is deep purple in colour, full bodied and sweet. All vintage ports must be
decanted before the service.
 Types of Port (Continue.)
Port Shippers
The best Port Shipper are as follows
- A.A. Calem - Cockburn Smiths - Croft - Delaforce
- A.A. Ferreira - Feuerheerd Bros - Fonseca - W.J. Graham
- Gonzalez Wood house - C.N. Kopke - Morgan Bros - Sandeman
- Simth Woodhouse - Warre - Guimaraens Vinhos S.A.R.L
 Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese fortified wine that conies from the island of Madeira in the
Atlantic Ocean.
During the eighteenth century, when the wines were shipped to Britain from her colonies,
the wines were heated during the sea voyage which developed a mellow-burned flavour
and improved the quality.
This gave birth to the Madeira wine. After pressing, the juice is quickly transported to
Funchal, the capital city of the island, for fermentation.
The wine, thus, obtained is known as vinho claro which is then fortified with local
brandy. This wine is then stored in ‘pipes’ (casks) and (hen placed in estufa, a large
centrally heated store.
The casks containing wine are gradually heated to 50°C and held at this temperature for
about three months and then slowly cooled down to normal temperature.
This results in caramel-like flavour of wine, similar to the ones that were developed during
the sea voyage, It also stabilizes the wine and increases the quality.
The wine now is indifferent to heat and cold and can withstand the exposure to air.
 Types of Madeira
Madeira is named after the grapes used in the preparation.
They are given in the ascending order of sweetness in the following.

Sercial - It is the driest Madeira, with a slight almond flavour. It is quite harsh
when young, and takes more time to mature. It is served chilled as an aperitif.
Verdelho - It is a soft and sweet wine with a smoky flavour. It goes well with
soups.
Bual - It is a full-bodied sweet wine with a velvet-brown colour.
Malmsey - It is a dark rich wine with a full flavour. It is regarded as one of the
finest wines.
Blends - Some Madeiras are blended and marketed under the shipper’s brand
name. Examples are Rainwater and London particular.
 Producers of Madeira
The leading producers of Madeira are as follows:
- Blandy’s - Henriques and Henriques
- Cossart Gordon - Lomelino
- Ferraz - Sandeman
- Leacock - Shortridge Lawton
 Marsala
This fortified wine comes from North West Sicily, taking its name from the name of
a town in that area.
The local grapes Grillo, Catarratto, and Inzolia are used in the preparation.
It is made from a blend of white wine, brandy, and heated must, which is then
matured in the solera system.
In 1773, the English merchant, John Woodhouse established the winery in Sicily for
the production of Marsala wine.
It gained popularity soon. Benjamin Ingham established competing firm in 1812.
In 1832, Vincenzo Florio, the first Italian entered in the production of Marsala.
Many other producers joined the list.
For many years, it was regarded equal to sherry and madeira. However, by the
1950s, it was mainly used for culinary preparations.
 It is an important ingredient in many egg and coffee-based dishes, pastries, and
desserts. Zabaglion, a sweet dish, is flavoured with Marsala.
 Types of Marsala
Marsala Fine - It varies in style from dry to sweet and needs a minimum period of
four months of ageing. It must not be less than 17 per cent abv.
Marsala Superiore - The style ranges from dry to sweet and must be minimum of
two years old and the alcohol not less than 18 per cent by volume.
Marsala Speciale - It is Marsala with flavours, such as coffee, almonds, fruits, etc.
Marsala Vergine - It is the driest of all Marsalas and is normally offered as
aperitif. It is aged for minimum period of five years and must contain minimum of
18 per cent abv.
Vergine Stravecchio or Vergine Riserva - It is aged for a minimum period of 10
years.

Producers/Shippers of Marsala
Florio BallorPellegrino Taylor Ingham
 Malaga
It is a sweet fortified wine that comes from Malaga on the Mediterranean coast
of Spain.
The main grape used in its production is Pedro Ximenez.
It is produced from the grapes dried on the straw mats in the sun.
It is then blended with concentrated grape juice after fermentation and is then
fortified. It is matured in the solera system.
 Types of Malaga
Malaga wines are classified according to age, colour, and sugar content.
According to the age, they are called
Malaga: It is aged for 6-24 months
Malaga noble: Aged for 2-3 years
Malaga ahejo: Aged for 3-5 years
Malaga trasahejo: Aged for more than 5 years
 Types of Malaga
According to their colour
Dorado or golden: It is produced with no added grape syrup
Rojo dorado or rot gold (tawny): It is produced with the addition of up to 5 per
cent grape syrup.
Oscuro or brown: It is produced with the addition of.grape syrup between 5
and 10 per cent.
Colour (coloured): It is produced with the addition of grape syrup between 10
and 15 per cent.
Negro o Dunkel (dark): It is an aged wine produced with the addition of over
15 per cent of added grape syrup.
 Types of Malaga
According to the sugar content
 Dulce crema or cream: Contains sugar between 100 g/1 and 140 g/1. Its colour
ranges from amber
to dark amber.
Dry pale or pale dry: Has sugar content not more than 45 g/1.
Pale cream: Has sugar content higher than 45 g/1
Sweet: Has sugar content more than 140 g/1. Its colour ranges from amber to
black.
Producers of Malaga The leading producers of Malaga are as follows:
• Scholtz Hermanos • Larios • Manischewitz • Jorge Ordonez