Chapter 25 - Fortified wines

Question 1

What are fortified wines?

Answer 1

• Sherry and Port are examples
• Additional alcohol is added to the wine
• Traditionally used to strengthen wine to protect it from spoilage
• All Port is sweet
• Most Sherry is made in a dry style, but is sometimes sweetened later on
• Various styles of Ports and Sherrys available

Question 2

How is Sherry produced?

Answer 2

• Produced around the town of Jerez de la Frontera
• Many styles, but starting points is a simply dry base wine made from Palomino, a local white grape variety
• After first fermentation, alcohol is added to fortify the wine
  Solera system: contain wines of different age. Wines are continually blended to get a complex style of mature wine
• In Solera Sherry developed its distinctive flavours

Question 3

Which Sherry styles are available?

Answer 3

• Fino, Oloroso, Amontillado: different ageing periods
• Fino: Ages under a thick white layer of yeast called flow. Base wine fortified to 15% abv before entering solera. Pale lemon colour with aromas of apple, almonds and pronounced flavours from Flor. Should be consumed as early as possible. Best served Chilled
• Olorose Sherry: No floor, around 17% abv fortification. Wine becomes brown in colour and develops flavours of dried fruits (raising, prunes) and notes of deliberate oxidation (walnuts, caramels)
• Amontillado: between Fino and Olorose. Under floor, then fortified to 17% abv. Deeper in colour than Finos. Flavours of both for and oxidative ageing (walnuts, caramel)

Question 4

Which sweet Sherry styles exist?

Answer 4

• Pale Cream: sweetened Fino
• Medium and Cream: sweetened Amontillado or Oloroso Sherry
• PX (Pedro Ximenez): sweet Sherry made from Pedo Ximenez grapes that have been concentrated by sun-drying
• Almost black in colour, sweet with pronounced dried-fruit flavours
• Used as sweetening component in Cream Sherries

Question 5

How is Port produced?

Answer 5

• Grapes grown in Upper Douro region of Portugal
• Blend of local black grape varieties
• Rapidly extract colour and tannins of grapes (foot treading). Fermentation is interrupted by adding a grape spirit
• Kills yeast and results in a wine that is sweet and high in alcohol
• Matured for a longer time prior to bottling

Question 6

Which Port styles exist?

Answer 6

• Ruby-style Ports are deeply coloured and fruits
• Spend a period of time ageing in large vessels before being ready to drink
• Large old casks, but also stainless steel tanks used
• Ruby-style wines have flavours of cooked black fruit (black cherry, blackberry) and sometimes black pepper
• Ruby Ports: generally sweet, simple wines with lower tannins than other Ports
• Reserve Ruby Ports: better quality with greater flavour intensity
• Late Bottled Vintage Port: similar style, but contains wines from a single vintage
• Vintage Port: highest-quality from single exceptional vintage. High in tannins, very concentrated flavours. Mature for 20+ years in bottle. Colour turns from ruby to garnet. Develops complex tertiary flavours of dried fruit, leather and coffee. Not made every year
• Tawny-style Ports: called because of tawny color: Extended oxidative ageing in small barrels. Complex flavours. Age indication of 10-40 years. Inexpensive Tawny Port is, however, simple, fruity, low in tannin and pale in colour