FORTIFIED WINE:

SHERRY, PORT, MADEIRA

15 Oct 2019 Intan C. Matita
 Introduction

 Liqueur or dessert wines

 Fortification of wine-derived spirit into grape must

 Total alcohol content of ≥ 17.5 %

 Introduction

 Climate and soil conditions do not favour production of high-

quality wines

 Suppress undesirable microbial growth

 Basic Processes: Sherry

Grapes Crush and Settle & Rack Ferment

harvested Press off solid

Fortify at
Aging Blend Clarify appropriate
sweetness

Fine, Filter, Final Filtration Bottle

Cold stabilize
 Basic Processes: Port

Grapes Ferment and Press & Fortify

harvested Crush Macerate at appropriate
sweetness

Fine and Filter Age and Blend Rack Store

Cold stabilize Final Filtration Bottle

Basic Processes: Madeira

Grapes Ferment and Press & Fortify

harvested Crush Macerate at appropriate
sweetness

Heat in sealed
Age tank at 50°C Rack Store
(Estufagem)

Blend Cold stabilize Final filtration Bottle

 Basic Processes
SHERRY
o Exclusively from white grapes
o Base wine: dry, bland

PORT
o Red or white grapes
o Fortify during primary fermentation

MADEIRA
o Red or white grapes
o Fortify during or after primary fermentation
 Fortification Spirit

Sherry and Madeira: nearly neutral spirit of ≥95%

alcoholic strength

Port: wine spirit of 76-78% alcoholic strength

 Sherry
PRESSING
Grape → hopper → roller crusher → presser
 Sherry
PRESSING
o < 1% solid

o Cooled

o Settled

o Clarify

o Tartaric acid (low-acidity juice)

o Sulphur dioxide
EU Permitted Levels of SO2 in wine
 Sherry
FERMENTATION AND FORTIFICATION
o Open cylindrical stainless steel tanks

o 25°C

o Yeast at a rate of 4-5% vol.

o Dry wine → malo-lactic fermentation

o Racked and Fortified to 15.5%

 Sherry
AGING AND MATURATION
o 3 years

o Solera system
Sherry
 Sherry
FINAL PROCESSING
o Clarifying/Fining

o Refrigeration: -7 to -8.5 °C fro 4-7 days

o Final Filtration: membrane filtration

o Bottling: stopper cork, driven cork

 Port
PRESSING AND FERMENTATION
o Grapes → hopper → mechanical crusher

o Crushed grapes → fermentation tank

o Sulphur dioxide gas

o Tartaric acid

o 26-28°C (red) and 18-20°C (white)

o 48 hours
 Port

FORTIFICATION
o Fermenting liquid at ± 4-5% vol. alcohol

o Wine spirit ± 20% volume of the raw wine

o Alcohol adjusted to 18-20% vol. (if necessary)

o pH adjustment < 3.6 by tartaric acid addition

 Port
AGING AND BLENDING
o 2-3 months

o Develop colour and flavour

o Mixing different output

 Port

CLARIFICATION AND STABILISATION

o Proteinaceous and betonite fining agents

o Centrifugation and cold stabilisation

 Port

FILTRATION AND BOTTLING

 Earth filtration → membrane filtration

 Flash pasteurisation

 Bottling
 Madeira
FERMENTATION
o Maceration before pressing (white grapes), maceration during
fermentation (red grapes)

o 26°C

o Fortify to ~17.5% during fermentation

 Madeira

AGING AND BLENDING

o Heating

 Close wooden/cement/stainless steel tank (estufas)

 Heating jacket or circulating hot water through heating coil

 >3 months at 45-50°C

o Wood aged

o Blending using Port system

 Madeira

CLARIFICATION, STABILISATION AND BOTTLING

o Activated charcoal fining and standard fining

o Cold stabilisation: -8°C for ±1week → earth filtration

o Prebottling filtration

o Bottling: stopper corks