Fortified Wine

Fortified wines are made by adding a spirit (usually grape based brandy) to wines, which results in a higher alcohol level. Traditionally this was done with fortified wines like Port, Sherry and Madeira to make sure the wines were stable enough to travel long distances. Before the days of temperature control on ships, a lot of wines would spoil in transit due to heat in the hold. Fortifying prevented this from happening. It also allowed wines to age for lengthy periods, and still remain in good condition for weeks after opening. The style has remained popular, to varying degrees, for centuries. The resulting fortified wines can be sweet, such as Port or Banyuls, or dry like a Manzanilla Sherry.