Fortified Wines Flashcards
Identify Port on a map
In duoro valley in Portugal
Identify Madeira on a map
Identify Sherry on a map
Identify Marsala on a map
In Sicily
Identify Roussillon on a map
In France
Identify Southern Rhône on a map
Southern France
Name the French fortified wine appellations
Roussillon: Banyuls AOP
Southern Rhône: Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP
Name the Italy appellations
Marsala DOC
Name the Sherry Appellations
It’s in Southwest spain
(-) Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(-) Sanlúcar de Barrameda on the
coast
Madeira appellations
Funchal is the main city on the island Madeira
Port appellations
Same geographic area as Douro DOP, Portugal
Subregions:
(-) Cima Corgo
(-) Baixo Corgo
(-) Douro Superior
Where are the Australia fortified wine appellations
Rutherglen
Victoria
Where are the South Africa fortified wine appellations
Klein Karoo
Western Cape
Climate of Madeira
Hot Subtropical
Climate of sherry
Hot Maritime
Climate of Port
Warm to hot Mediterranean
Physical Features of Madeira
Mountainous hillside
Physical Features of Sherry
Close proximity to the Atlantic
Physical Features of Port
Mountainous hillside
Soil type of Madeira
Volcanic
Soil type of Sherry
Albariza (chalk)
Barros (clay)
Arenas (sand)
Soil type of Port
Schist
Winemaking of Port
Fortified during fermentation
Sweeter styles are fortified closer to the beginning of fermentation.
Estufagem
(-) A heating method used in Madeira wine production to replicate the natural aging effects of long sea voyages in warm climates.
(-) Wines are heated to 45–50°C (113–122°F) for 3–6 months in stainless steel tanks or concrete vats.
(-) Enhances oxidation and caramelization, creating Madeira’s signature rich, nutty, and complex taste.
Canteiro
(-) A traditional, slow-aging method for Madeira wine, using wooden casks stored in warm, sunlit warehouses.
(-) Relies on ambient heat to mature the wine over years or decades, typically for higher-quality Madeira.
(-) Produces complex, refined flavors with balanced acidity, often reserved for premium wines.
Canteiro vs Estufagem
Heating Method:
Canteiro: Uses natural, ambient heat over years in wooden casks.
Estufagem: Involves artificial heating in stainless steel or concrete tanks for 3–6 months.
Wine Quality:
Canteiro: Reserved for high-quality, premium wines.
Estufagem: Typically used for more affordable, younger wines
Flavor Development:
Canteiro: Produces nuanced, complex flavors with greater depth.
Estufagem: Results in robust but less refined flavors.
Winemaking of Madeira
Fortified during fermentation, oxidized, exposed to heat.
Winemaking of Sherry
Fortified after fermentation, oxidized
What is flor?
What does it do?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
A thin layer of yeast, Saccharomyces, that develops on the surface of a maturing wine in barrel. It develops here because Sherry barrels aren’t filled up all the way, and that headspace allows for oxygen which in turn encourages the flor to form.
It protects the wine from heavy oxidation and spoilage.
Biological aging vs. oxidative aging.
Biological Aging:
(-) Occurs under a layer of flor yeast that protects the wine from oxygen.
(-) Requires a cool, humid environment and fortified wine at ~15% ABV.
(-) Produces lighter styles like Fino and Manzanilla with delicate, tangy, and nutty flavors.
Oxidative Aging:
(-) Exposes wine to oxygen in partially filled barrels without flor.
(-) Happens at higher alcohol levels (~17–18% ABV).
(-) Produces richer styles like Oloroso with deep, complex, and caramelized flavors.
Running the scales of the Solera
A fractional blending system which has levels, or ‘scales,’ that hold wines at varying stages of development (some of which are decades old).
The younger wines at the top of the solera are progressivley blended with the older, lower scales of the solera.
The bottom row of the solera system is called solera.
What are the 2 ways to age, or develop, Sherry?
a. Biological aging
b. Oxidative aging
What are the 4 styles of Sherry made with biological aging?
Manzanilla
Fino
Amontillado
Palo Cortado
What are the 2 styles of Sherry made with oxidative aging?
Oloroso
Cream Sherry
When making Fino-style Sherries, it’s important to keep adding new wine to barrels so that the ____ remains intact.
Flor
The newly added wine has nutrients which the flor metabolizes and needs to stay alive.
What’s the purpose of a solera?
A solera creates a unique, distinct flavor profile for wine, making Sherry – when you smell and taste it – unmistakable.
The solera allows the winemaker, or Sherry house, to produce a consistent style of wine.
What grape is Port
Touriga Nacional
Grapes in Madeira
Sercial
Verdelho
Bual
Malmsey
Tinta Negra
Grapes in Sherry
Palomino
Moscatel
Pedro Ximénez
Grapes in Banyuls
Grenache
Grapes in Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
Muscat
Grapes in Rutherglen
Muscat
Grapes in Klein Karoo
Muscat de Frontignan
Muscat à Petits Grains
What is Vila Nova de Gaia (Port)
Location: Vila Nova de Gaia is a city across the Douro River from Porto, Portugal, traditionally used for aging and storing Port wine.
Climate: Its cooler, coastal conditions are ideal for slow aging and maturation of Port in cellars.
Significance: Historically, it served as the hub for Port wine trade and export, with many major Port houses headquartered there.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
(-) Grapes from top quintas blended together
(-) Ages 4-6 years in cask before it’s bottled
(-) Still quite fruity
Single Quinta
Single vineyards
Port is almost always:
a single grape variety
a blend of several grape varieties
A blend of several grape varieties
Describe a Vintage Port
(-) Made only from best quintas in exceptional vintages (usually ~4 per decade)
(-) Aged 2 years in cask before being bottled where it can/should spend at least another decade (or three, or five….)
(-) Most expensive
(-) Most age worthy
Marsala sweetness levels
Secco
Semi-Secco
Dolce
When is Port made
Understand vintage Port is only made in the best vintages
Between 2005 - 2020, what years were declared vintages in Port?
What might be considered the top three?
2007
2008 (not widely declared)
2009 (not widely declared)
2011
2015
2016
2017
Name 4 styles of Tawny Port.
Tawny
10-year Tawny
20-year Tawny
30-year Tawny
40-year Tawny
Name 4 styles of Ruby Port.
Ruby
LBV (Late Bottled Vintage)
Vintage
Single Quinta
Describe a Ruby Port.
(-) Young
(-) Blend of vintages and vineyards
(-) Inexpensive
(-) Fruity
Describe an LBV Port
Grapes from top quintas blended together
Ages 4-6 years in cask before it’s bottled
Still quite fruity
Describe a Single Quinta Port
Fruit from the top quintas (or vineyards) in non-declared vintages
Aged Tawny: Colheita (min 7 years aging)
Colheita Definition: A single-vintage aged Tawny Port, made from grapes harvested in a specific year.
Aging Requirement: Must be aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 7 years before bottling.
Flavor Profile: Offers complex notes of dried fruits, nuts, and spices, reflecting both the vintage and extended barrel aging
Service of Beverage
(-) Old Vintage and Single Quinta Ports require decanting for sediment.
(-) By-the-glass pours are typically 2 oz (51.9 ml).
Food and Beverage Pairing Understand how sweetness, age, and amount of oxidation can affect a pairing with these wines.
Business of the Sommelier Know general shelf life of the wine after opening.
Tawny Port and Sweet Sherry serving temperature
55°- 62°F // 13°- 17°C
Sweet Madeira and Vintage Port
55°- 62°F // 12-16°C
Dry Sherry and Dry Madeira
48°- 55°F // 6° -9° C
