Fortified Wines

Question 1

Sherry Production

Answer 1

• Produced around Jerez de la
  Frontera in southern Spain
• Starting point for almost all Sherry
  
  • > simple dry base wine made from palomino
• Once fermentation is complete, alcohol is
  added to fortify wine before it enters solera
• Solera system:
  -> old-oak casks containing wines of
  different ages
  -> wines are continually blended together as
  they age
  -> ensuring a consistent and complex
  style of mature wine

Question 2

Dry Sherry Styles

Answer 2

• Fino Sherry
  
  • > ages under thick white layer of yeast (flor)
    • -> protects from oxygen
  • > base wine is about 15% abv before solera
  • > pale lemon in color
  • > consume asap after bottling
  • > flor gives biscuit and bread dough flavors
• Oloroso Sherry
  
  • > no flor
  • > about 17% abv
    • -> flor couldn’t survive
  • > wine ages oxidatively
  • > becomes brown in color
  • > oxygen gives walnut and caramel flavours
• Amontillado Sherry
  
  • > somewhere between Fino and oloroso
  • > ages under flor for period of time
  • > gets refortified to around 17% abv
    • -> kills flor, allows to age oxidatively
  • > color deeper than fino
  • > flavors from flor and oxidative aging

Question 3

Sweet Sherry Styles

Answer 3

• dry wines can be sweetened
  
  • -> must be labelled
• pale cream = sweetened Fino
• medium and cream = sweetened Amontillado
  and Oloroso Sherries
• PX (Pedro Ximénez)
  -> grapes have been concentrated by sun-
  drying
  -> aged oxidatively

Question 4

Port

Answer 4

• Portugal Upper Douro
• Black grape, mostly different
  vintages

Port Styles
- Ruby-style Ports
   -> deeply colored and fruity 
        --> cooked black fruits sometimes black
                pepper 

• inexpensive Ruby Ports generally sweet,
  simple lower tannins
• Reserve Ruby Ports: better quality wine
  -> greater flavour intensity
  -> sometimes matured longer than ruby ports
  to soften added alcohol
• Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port
  
  • > similar to reserve ruby but single vintage
• Vintage Port
  -> highest quality wines from one vintage
  -> high Tannins & very concentrated flavors
  -> potential to mature at least 20years in
  bottle
  -> from ruby to garnet
• Tawny stile ports
  
  • > tawny cuz of oxidative ageing small barrels
  • > can age 10-40 years