INTRODUCTION TO FORTIFIED WINES

Presented by: Rohan Abhay Dole

Today’s Presentation
• What are fortified wines and fortification.
• Timings of fortification
• Types of fortified wine
• Introduction to Port
• Introduction to Sherry
• Introduction Madeira
 What are fortified wines and fortification.
• Fortified wines belongs to the family of dessert wines,
that is because they are usually sweeter on the palate
they can also be dry. But, these wine have there own
unique flavor profile, alcohol strength, production
method, and can age for decades.

• Fortification is technique which is used to make fortified

wines. It includes addition of distilled spirits like Brandy
into the wine in order to raise its alcohol percentage.
 Timings of fortification in fortified wines

• Before fermentation: to make sweet wines.

• During fermentation: to make dry wines.
• After fermentation: to increase alcohol
percent.
• During aging: to kill off flor yeast.
 Port: Douro valley Portugal.
• Portugal’s flagship; an aged, sweet fortified wine that comes in a
wide range of styles, largely based on ageing techniques. Commonly
seen styles include Ruby and Tawny.
• Built on the blended synergy of Portugal’s indigenous red grapes, most of
the region’s Port production is focused on Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca,
Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Cão.
 Styles of port wine
• Ruby port: usually the least expensive & ready to
drink as soon as bottled.
• Late bottled vintage port: Single vintage ruby port.
May enjoy upto 6 years in oak barrel.
• Vintage port: Top quality wine made with top quality
grapes selected from a single vintage.
• Tawny port: Complex and concentrated. Aged for 7
years and has some oxidized flavors.
• White port: A field crafted blend of some indegenous
varieties from portugal. Light and refreshing with 18-
20% alcohol.
 Sherry
What is Sherry Wine?
We can start with a few truths: Sherry is a fortified white wine from Andalucía Southern
Spain from the town of Jerez and it has been made for centuries.
Most of it is dry and meant to be paired with food. I’m here to dispel the myths and tell
you why Sherry is one of the greatest beverages on the planet. We’re going to start by
debunking a few myths about Sherry.

Isn’t Sherry Just a Sweet Wine?

Some of the sweet styles make great dessert wines or fireside sippers (such as PX), but
they aren’t representative of the whole.
 Types of sherry
• FINO: Aged for 2-5 years under the flor yeast layer.

• MANZANILLA: Aged for 5-10 year under the flor yeast layer.

• AMONTILLADO: when fino’s flor yeast fades and wine is intentionally fortified to
higher alcohol and is darker in color.

• PALO CORTADO: Rare type of sherry. When the flor yeast dies and wines get
oxidized it is created. Has nose os amontillado but rich palate of oloroso.

• OLOROSO: This sherry never experience flor. All the taste profile develops just
because of the interaction with the air. It is aged for 25 years.
 Madeira: The rare island wine
What is Madeira Wine?
Madeira is a fortified wine available in a range of dry to sweet styles. It gets its name
from the island of Madeira, a small, beautiful rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Madeira’s unique taste comes from repeatedly heating the wine. The heating creates a
wine with fascinating flavors of roasted nuts, stewed fruit, caramel, and toffee.

Types of Madeira Wine:

Two main types of Madeira have several unique styles ranging in quality:
Blended Madeira: Inexpensive wines of average quality with a few exceptional aged
styles.
Single-Varietal Madeira: The highest quality Madeira wines made primarily of 4
different varieties.
 Blended madeira: Blended Madeira is often inexpensive, and low-quality, but several higher-end examples make
wonderful sipping wines; these usually carry an age designation.

• Finest Madeira : A blended finest wine must be age at least 3 years.

• Rainwater Madeira : Must be aged 3-4 years.
• Reserve: Must 5- 10 years.
• Special Reserve: 10- 15 years.
• Extra Reserve: 15-20 years.
• 20 Year Old: 20 year old.
• 30 Year Old and 40 Year Old
 Single varietal madeira : Varietal Madeira
represents the highest quality Madeira wine, perfect for
aperitifs or dessert wines. These wines are made as both
non-vintage blends and single vintage wines that can age for
centuries due to Madeira’s unique winemaking process.

•  Sercial: Brightest and lightest style of single varietal madeira often

served as apertif.
• Verdelho: a smokier and spicy of version a sercial madeira.
• Boal: A bolder and aromatic version of madeira. Smells like coffee, salted
caramel, dates.
• Malmsey: the most chocolaty madeira with flavors of roasted nuts. Can
live upto a decade.
Thank you