🍷 Fortification

Fortification is the addition of grape spirit to make wine stronger. If the spirit is added during fermentation, the yeast dies, fermentation stops, and some sugar stays in the wine. That is how sweet fortified wine is made.

The method comes from old times: stronger wine travelled better on long sea voyages. Today it is used for Port in Portugal, Sherry in Spain and Marsala in Sicily. If the spirit is added after fermentation is complete, the wine ends up dry.

Fortified wines usually contain around 15–22 percent alcohol, clearly more than ordinary wine. They are aged in casks, sometimes for years. Rules on which spirit may be added, and how much, differ from country to country.

Fortification is a winemaking technique, tied to the general idea of wine. The best-known example is Port, which is made exactly this way. Such wines are best taken in small portions.