Five Forti ed Wines to Try

5 Fortified Wines to Try

Forti ed wines’ strength and aromatic quality make them perfect for members who want to sip something special.

By Robert J Mancuso, CMC, DipWSET, Contributing Chef Editor

FORTIFIED WINES VARY IN color, fl avor, origin and sweetness, yet they all have one thing in common: fortifi cation.

Fortifi cation is the addition of a distilled spirit to wine either during or after fermentation. This process increases alcohol content, thus killing o yeast and stopping fermentation. The English popularized fortifi cation in the late 17th century to preserve wines for long sea voyages, and it hasn’t changed drastically since.

Most fortifi ed wines today refl ect what wine tasted like 300 years ago. Madeira, Marsala, port, sherry and vermouth are the most common. Despite being a touch out of vogue, sommeliers, chefs and clubhouse managers can fi nd exceptional quality at a great price—if they know what to look for.

HOW IT’S MADE

There are many ways to fortify wine. It’s not always as simple as adding a distilled spirit or brandy.

Madeira is heated and oxidized to replicate the voyage across the equator as part of its maturation process.

Sherry, a truly unique wine in the world, is exclusively produced in the wine-growing region of Jerez, which is situated in a triangle of land formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Sherry is typically fortifi ed after the fermentation is complete, rendering most sherries initially dry, with the sweetness added after and aged using the Solera system of fractional blending.

Port is typically fortifi ed halfway through fermentation before the sugar is turned into alcohol.

Vins doux naturels (VDNs), naturally sweet wines, have a long history rooted in the South of France and are considered the original fortifi ed wine. These wines were perfected by Arnaud de Villeneuve, a director of the University of Montpellier and doctor at the court of Majorca, who discovered mutage, the basis behind this unique style of wine.

5 TYPES TO TRY

Because each type of fortifi ed wine is unique to its region, and most have variations in the production method, take a deep dive before you start selling them to your membership. (Though these wines make excellent additions to a club’s wine program, as they generally last forever, can be sipped slowly, and are unique.)

Here are a few of my favorites:

MOSCATEL DE SETÚBAL

If you’re looking to uncover a gem for your members, look no further. Moscatel de Setúbal comes from the southern part of Portugal and is an exceptionally wellvalued alternative to a tawny port.

The grape for Moscatel de Setúbal is Muscat of Alexandria, a white wine grape from the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. It’s also one of the go-to grapes for fortifi ed wine and can be pretty complex. With over 200 varieties, the fortifi ed world favors two cultivars; Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Italy’s Moscato Bianco) and Muscat of Alexandria (Spain and Portugal’s Muscatel).

Look for “superior” bottling, which requires additional aging and exhibits more depth and nutty fl avors. The fi rst sip of Moscatel de Setúbal will remind you of dried herbs, date

5 Fortified Wines to Try

paste, marmalade, roasted cashew and apricot compote.

When shopping for Moscatel de Setúbal, look for producers with quality reputations like Quinta da Bacalhôa or Adega de Palmela.

MUSCAT OF SAMOS

Muscat of Samos is a simple sweet Muscat wine from the semi-mountainous island that bears the same name. There are a few di erent varieties to choose from, including Vin Doux, Vin Nectar, Vin Doux Naturel Grand Cru and Anthemis. These quality tiers will help guide you.

As with most muscat wines, you’ll fi nd fl avors and aromas of dried apricot, white fl owers like orange blossom, and tropical nuances of ripe pineapple, mango and peach. Quality Samos will have deeper notes of toasted almond and butter pecans. Some of my favorite producers are Kourtaki and Tsantali.

MUSCAT DE BEAUMES DE VENISE

Established in 1943, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée-ranked wine made from grapes grown on vines at the foot of the Montmirail mountains in France.

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is semi-sweet and must have a minimum residual sugar of 100 grams per liter in the fi nal wine. This produces a tropical, honey-like fl avor with hints of white fl owers, dried apricot and golden raisin.

Look for quality producers like Domaine de Durban or Pierre Amadieu.

RASTEAU VIN DOUX NATUREL

Located in the Côtes du Rhône’s hot, Mediterranean climate, Rasteau wines are 90% Grenache. Rancio styles are produced with a minimum of two years of oxidative aging, often in glass carboys.

Grown on clay and limestone, the grape’s rootstock takes cover from the rounded cobblestone, which retains heat, storing it during the day and releasing it at night.

Your members will love the typical aromas and fl avors of sweet mulberry, ripe blueberry, licorice, savory herbs, hints of earth, bitter cocoa and pine.

I have Domaine de Verquiére and Domaine de Beaurenard in my cellar.

RUTHERGLEN

Rutherglen Muscat from Australia— also known as “stickies” because they’re so sweet—is one of my favorites. Four di erent classifi cations require increasing years of aging. For the most part, Rutherglen wines have pronounced aromas of dried fruits like prunes, raisins and sultanas. They have some secondary aroma from oak maturation of chocolate, co ee, nutmeg, spice, as well as a touch of vanilla. These aromas are mixed with complex tertiary notes from deliberate oxidation that come across as dark caramel, walnut and orange marmalade.

Some of my favorite producers are Campbells Rutherglen Muscat and RL Buller Fine Victoria Muscat. C+RC