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Fortified wine

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Fortified wine is wine to which additional alcohol has been added, the most common additive being brandy (a spirit distilled from wine). The original reason for fortification was to preserve wines, as the higher alcohol level and additional sweetness help to preserve the wine (when supplemental alcohol is added before fermentation finishes, it kills the yeast and leaves residual sugar). Even though other preservation methods exist, the fortification process survives, as consumers have developed tastes for wines preserved this way. Many different wines styles have developed around the use of fortification in winemaking. The most popular include Sherry, Port, Marsala, Madeira, Vermouth, Malaga, Liqueur Muscat, vins de liqueur, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and other vins doux naturels.

Fortified wines are distinguished from spirits made from wine. While both have increased alcohol content, spirits are the result of a process of distillation, while fortified wines have spirits added to them. Fortified wines generally have an alcohol content between that of wines and spirits. Fortified wines are legally called dessert wines in the U.S. but are called liqueur wines in Europe. In the UK they are called fortified wines except where the European Union insists on the use of "liqueur wine".

Fortification

During fermentation the yeast cells in the must continue to convert sugar into alcohol until the solution reaches an alcohol level over 16-18%-depending on the tolerance of the particular strain of yeast. For some strains the alcohol tolerance is even lower. At this point the alcohol content becomes a toxin to the yeast cells rendering them impotent to where they can no longer reproduce and eventually die. In most wines, if the process of fermentation is allowed to run to completion the resulting wine will be considered dry. However in the case of some wine styles, such as late harvest and botrytized wines, the naturally high levels of sugar act as an inhibitor to the yeast which will cause the fermentation to stop before dryness.

When a highly alcoholic grape spirit such as brandy (typically 40-60% ABV) is added to the fermenting must, it prematurely stops the fermentation leaving behind some level of residual sugar. The earlier in the fermentation process that it is added, the sweeter the resulting wine will be. For drier wine styles, such as Sherry, the fortification is added after or towards the end of the fermentation process. Sweetness can be still added later in the form of a pre-bottling addition of unfermented grape must or additional grape spirit.

While spirits made from grapes are what is most commonly used for fortified wines, the distilled spirit can be made from a variety of sources including cane sugar, sugar beets and even petroleum. Regional appellation laws will dictate what type of spirit is permitted for fortification. The origin of the spirit as well as the method in which it was distill can have an effect on the flavor of the resulting wine. Spirits produced with a pot still tend to be exposed to more impurities which act as flavor congeners and impart distinct and intense flavors. Most fortified wine producers prefer more neutral spirits and will use spirits produced with a continuous still.

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Last updated on Tuesday February 19, 2008 at 07:45:36 PST (GMT -0800)
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