Fortified Wines

Question 1

What does it mean when a wine is fortified?

Answer 1

Alcohol has been added to the wine to protect it from spoiling and to bolster its body, warmth, and sturdiness.

The alcohol added is usually a neutral distilled spirit or brandy.

Question 2

What are the 2 most internationally known and available styles of fortified wine?

Answer 2

1. Port (Portugal)
2. Sherry (Spain)

Port is a sweet red wine made in the Douro region of Portugal.

Sherry is made with white grapes grown in “the Sherry Triangle” in Cádiz, Spain.

Both are fortified with brandy or a neutral distilled spirit but at different times in the winemaking process: Port during fermentation and Sherry after fermentation.

Question 3

What are a few other styles of fortified wine, besides Port and Sherry?

Answer 3

• Madeira (Spanish)
• Marsala (Sicilian)
• Vermouth (Italy, France, Spain)

Because Port and Sherry are the most internationally known and available fortified wines, we shall be limiting the scope of this deck to just these two popular styles.

P.S. Not all Marsalas are fortified.

Question 4

What is the main difference between Port and Sherry?

Answer 4

Port wines are always sweet, whereas Sherries range from dry to sticky sweet

Given the sweet nature of Port, they’re best enjoyed with or after dessert.

Sherries, depending on whether you choose a dry or sweet style, are delicious with appetizers, finger foods, and ice cream!

Question 5

Where in Portugal does Port come from?

Answer 5

The Douro region in northeast Portugal

You cannot call a fortified wine ‘Port’ unless it comes from Portugal (and is made according to regulations), just like you cannot call a sparkling wine ‘Champagne,’ unless it comes from Champagne in France!

Question 6

When are Port and Sherry fortified with neutral grape spirit: before, during, or after fermentation?

Answer 6

Port is fortified during fermentation; Sherry after fermentation

This different approach to fortification explains why Ports are always sweet and why Sherry comes in a great variety of styles, from dry to sweet. (More on that in the coming cards!)

Question 7

Is Port always sweet or can it sometimes be made dry?

Answer 7

Always sweet

Port will always be sweet because the addition of alcohol during fermentation kills the yeast before they’ve finished munching on all the sugar. This leaves behind a naturally sweet base wine that’s higher in alcohol due to the addition of the neutral grape spirit.

Question 8

What is the most important grape variety in Port?

Answer 8

Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional is a small berried black grape variety that’s considered by many to be Portugal’s finest; and key in crafting the base wine blends used for Ports.

Question 9

Is Port usually a single varietal wine or a blend?

Answer 9

Blend

Local black grapes are what traditionally constitute the blend of Port.

Question 10

Is Port wine usually a single vintage or a blend of vintages?

Answer 10

Blend of vintages

Winemakers strive for consistency from vintage to vintage, which is why most Ports are a blend of wines from many vintages.

This doesn’t mean that all Ports are non-vintage wines, though!

About 4-5 times per decade, Vintage Ports are made exclusively from grapes harvested during exceptional growing years, when the grapes have ideal conditions.

Question 11

Port comes in 2 overarching styles. What are those styles?

Answer 11

Ruby and Tawny

Ruby Ports are a rich, deep red in color and are the most simple, straightforward, and fruity of all the Port styles. (Pro Tip: If you like Ruby, try Vintage Port for an elevated experience!)

Tawny Ports are pale brown/amber in color and are quite oxidative in style. What do we mean by that?

Oxidative wines are those that have been deliberately exposed to oxygen during the winemaking process for the purpose of softening the tannins and introducing new flavors, like coffee, vanilla, and toffee.

Question 12

Describe the typical profile of a Ruby Port.

Try list 5 points

Answer 12

1. Sweet
2. High alcohol, low tannin
3. Full body
4. Intense mix of ripe red and black fruit flavors (raspberry, cherry, and plum)
5. Made to be drunk young (and not age)

Question 13

Are Vintage Ports made every single year?

Answer 13

No

Vintages have to be “declared” by Port producers in the Douro and are declared only in exceptional vintages.

In fact, Vintage Ports are only made 4-5 times a decade, on average. And because of their scarcity, prices tend to be premium.

Question 14

Where do Tawny Ports get their deep amber color?

Answer 14

Oxidation

Tawny Ports spend years, sometimes decades, in small oak casks, exposing the wine to extensive amounts of oxygen. This oxidation turns the wine color from red to brown-ish (tawny).

Question 15

Describe the typical profile of a Tawny Port.

Try list 5 points

Answer 15

1. Sweet
2. High alcohol
3. Full body
4. Dried fruits
5. Oxidative flavors (nuts, caramel)

Question 16

What are some of the age indications seen on Tawny Ports?

Answer 16

• 10 Year
• 20 Year
• 30 Year
• 40 Year

The older the age indication, the more complex, rich (darker brown) in color, and oxidative (in flavors) the wine will be. Also, the more expensive it’ll likely be.

Question 17

Where is Sherry produced?

Answer 17

In and around the town of Jerez de la Frontera in southwestern Spain

Question 18

Is Sherry made in a singular style or a broad range of styles?

Answer 18

Sherry is made in a broad range of styles

One typically thinks of Sherry as a sweet aperitif or digestif but, in reality, it’s made in many, totally different styles, from opaque and sticky sweet to pale and bone dry!

Question 19

What are the 2 prominent grapes used to make Sherry?

Answer 19

1. Palomino
2. Pedro Ximénez

Question 20

What is the sweetest style of Sherry?

Answer 20

Pedro Ximénez

This intensely sweet, dark, dessert Sherry is made from the same-named Pedro Ximénez (or PX), a white Spanish grape variety grown in several Spanish wine regions but most notably in the Montilla-Moriles DO.

Question 21

How is PX (Pedro Ximénez) made?

Answer 21

• Pedro Ximénez grapes are dried in the sun prior to fermentation to concentrate the sugars.
• After fortification, the wine is aged oxidatively, giving it an opaque, near-black color and intense prune and coffee-like flavors.

PX is best enjoyed over excellent vanilla ice cream!

Question 22

What are the 3 most important styles of dry Sherry?

Answer 22

1. Fino
2. Oloroso
3. Amontillado

These dry Sherries are made with Palomino, a white grape variety from Andalucia in southwestern Spain.

Question 23

What is flor?

Answer 23

A layer of yeast that develops on the surface of the Sherry when it’s in the barrel (Sherry barrels are only filled to 3/4 full).

Flor creates a protective layer over the wine, which allows oxygen to very slowly, gradually affect the wine, preventing rapid, heavy oxidation.

Fun fact: Sherry is the only fortified wine that’s made with flor AKA biological aging making it pretty unique!

Question 24

How are dry Sherries made?

List the 5 steps

Answer 24

1. Grapes are harvested and pressed
2. The juice is fermented to dryness (like a normal white wine)
3. The winemaker then fortifies the base wine
4. The fortified wine is barrel-aged and passed through the solera (blending) system
5. The winemaker decides when to bottle the wine.

Here’s how this process is used to craft the 3 styles of dry Sherry:

Once the grape juice has been fermented to dryness (step 2) the winemaker will taste the wine and decide whether it’s destined to become a Fino or an Oloroso.

If it’s a Fino, the winemaker will fortify the wine to 15% (step 3), which allows the flor to survive so that the wine can be biologically aged. If it’s an Oloroso, they will fortify it to 17% abv, which destroys the flor. The wine is then oxidatively aged in barrel.

Amontillado Sherries start as Fino, but the winemaker will refortify it a second time to kill off the flor, allowing the wine to then age oxidatively. In other words, Amontillado Sherries are both biologically and oxidatively aged!

Question 25

In making Sherry, what step is taken following fortification?

Answer 25

Aging in a solera system.

A solera system is a collection of stacked barrels, with the bottom row containing the oldest vintage and the top, the most recent.

The purpose of a solera is to create a system for the fractional blending of Sherries (or other wines) across several vintages.

Interestingly, Solera systems are also used to craft non-vintage bubbly, Port, rum, and balsamic vinegar!

Question 26

Describe the profile of a typical Fino Sherry.

Try list 5 points

Answer 26

1. Dry
2. Low alcohol (for fortified wine)
3. Pale in color (pale lemon)
4. Notes of green apple
5. Light oxidative notes (yeast, biscuit, almond)

Fino-style Sherries should really be treated as regular white wines. In other words, they’re at their best in the first few days after being opened, and should definitely be served chilled and refrigerated. After a week, they’ll start to lose their vibrancy and fruit and go stale.

Best paired with fried foods and tapas! Think: cured ham, Marcona almonds, olives, tapas, seafood, tinned fish, and pan con tomate.

Question 27

Describe the profile of a typical Oloroso Sherry.

Try list 5 points

Answer 27

1. Dry
2. Medium in alcohol (for a fortified wine)
3. Brown in color
4. Dried fruit like raisin and prune
5. Oxidative caramel and walnut flavors

Best paired with hard cheeses, nuts, pâté, soups, and lamb with mushrooms and/or olives.

Pro Tip: serve or order a shot of Oloroso after you’ve had soup (or even put it IN your soup!). Perfection!

Question 28

Describe the profile of a typical Amontillado Sherry.

Try list 5 points

Answer 28

1. Dry
2. Medium in alcohol (for a fortified wine)
3. Brown in color
4. Heavy nutty notes (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds) with toasted brioche
5. Notes of orange peel, apricot, and salted honey.

Best paired with: hard cheeses like Manchego (young or aged), as well as smoked cheeses. Also: chicken, chorizo, nuts, and richer tapas dishes that are more like miniature meals, especially duck, rabbit, and sausage.

Question 29

What is Madeira?

Answer 29

A fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira

Madeira lies about 375 miles off the coast of Morocco

Question 30

What is Vermouth?

Answer 30

An aromatized, fortified wine that has a sweet-bitter character that stimulates your taste buds and stomach.

Vermouth is enjoyed as an aperitif before meals in many countries. It’s also a key ingredient in Martini cocktails!

Question 31

Where should you store a fortified wine after it’s been opened?

Answer 31

A cool, dark place.

The only exception would be Fino Sherries, which should be stored in the refrigerator.

Question 32

What is an aperitif?

Answer 32

An alcoholic beverage typically enjoyed before a meal to stimulate the appetite.

For example: fortified wines like vermouth or dry Sherry; a cocktail like a martini or gin & tonic; or a lovely glass of Champagne (or other traditional method sparkling wine)!

Question 33

What is a digestif?

Answer 33

An alcoholic beverage typically enjoyed after a meal to aid in digestion.

For example: aged spirits like brandy or scotch; fortified wines, like Port or sweet Sherry; or herbal liqueurs or cordials, like Sambuca, Amaro, or Becherovka.