Fortified wine is wine strengthened with a shot of grape spirit, and that one step opens up a rewarding corner of the cellar. Add the spirit before fermentation finishes and you keep the grape's sweetness, as in Port. Add it after and you get the dry, savoury style of most Sherry.
The great families: Port, Sherry, Madeira and beyond
Port comes from the steep, terraced Douro valley in northern Portugal, and runs from young, fruity ruby to barrel-aged tawny that turns nutty over ten, twenty or forty years. Sherry is the other giant, made around Jerez in Spain from Palomino grapes: bone-dry fino and saline manzanilla age under a veil of yeast called flor, amontillado and oloroso gain walnut and dried-fruit depth from oxidation, and Pedro Ximénez is pressed from sun-dried grapes into something like liquid raisins. Beyond them sit Madeira, Sicilian Marsala and the French Vins Doux Naturels such as Banyuls, built on Grenache and Muscat.
Dry aperitif styles versus rich sweet wines
The split that matters most at the table is dry against sweet. Chilled fino, manzanilla and dry Sercial Madeira make superb aperitifs, cutting through olives, almonds, jamón and anything from the sea. The sweet and dessert styles come into their own after dinner: vintage and tawny Port with blue cheese, Pedro Ximénez spooned over vanilla ice cream, Bual and Malmsey Madeira with dark chocolate and dried figs. Serve the dry styles cold and the sweeter ones lightly cool, and remember that a fortified wine keeps for weeks after opening.
Fortified wine FAQ
What is the difference between Port and Sherry?
Sweetness and place, mostly. Port is fortified partway through fermentation, so it stays sweet, and comes from the Douro in Portugal. Sherry is fortified after fermentation, is usually dry, and hails from Jerez in Spain.
Which fortified wines are best with cheese?
Tawny and vintage Port are classic with Stilton and other blues, rich oloroso Sherry and Malmsey Madeira suit aged cheeses, and dry fino is lovely with salty Manchego.
How long does fortified wine keep once opened?
Longer than table wine, thanks to the higher alcohol. Dry sherries stay fresh for about a week in the fridge, while sweet, oxidative styles like tawny Port and Madeira can be good for several weeks.