5 Types of Fortified Wines: History, Appellation and Flavor Profiles

In restaurant terms, fortified wines make good business sense because they encourage customer retention. According to Scott Carney, Master Sommelier and Dean of Wine Studies at ICE’s New York campus, their unique qualities contribute to the creation of a memorable guest experience. 

“If a sommelier can introduce a guest to a product that they have heard of but never tried, and the guest finds the experience delightful, then the prospect of them returning to the restaurant again is increased,” he says, adding that “the repeat diner is critical to the growth of any restaurant.”

This is perhaps why fortified wines, which also have versatile culinary applications, are a critical part of ICE’s Intensive Sommelier Training — the only sommelier course approved by the .

For a better understanding of this unique wine category, Dean Carney, along with Wine Studies Lead Instructor Paul Sherman, takes us through an introduction to fortified wines.

What is a Fortified Wine?

Fortified wines are exactly what you would expect them to be: wines that have been strengthened — or fortified — with additional alcohol.

“Fortified wines are wines that have had neutral grape spirits added to them,” says Sherman. 

Neutral grape spirit refers to clear, un-aged grape brandy. It's added "as further protection from bacteria and, of course, for additional power,” he says.

Many fortified wines have a historical context in coastal, port cities from which the wines were shipped. The fortification of the wines with additional alcohol made them better able to endure long journeys at sea without spoiling.

How and When are Fortified Wines Typically Imbibed?

Fortified wines can be enjoyed throughout your diner’s meal, as there are numerous styles of fortified wines.

“Fortified wine can be drunk before dining as an aperitivo, as in the case of a Manzanilla Sherry; during a meal — as the Spanish sometimes do — think good Amontillado sherry and roast lamb; or after dinner as a digestivo,” says Carney, adding that "in general, dryer styles of fortified wine, like sherry and vermouth are consumed before a meal while the sweeter styles like Port, Madeira, and Marsala are desired at the close of a meal." 

Historically, certain styles have belonged to certain moments. 

“Think of the days when men would ‘retire to the library’ for some vintage Port and a cigar,” he explains.

While fortified wines sometimes employ smaller, specialized glasses, they can also be drunk from a standard wine glass.

Why Are Fortified Wines Good for Cooking?

Like table wines, fortified wines have many culinary applications, which is why they appear in both the Culinary Arts and Pastry & Baking Arts curriculums at ICE.

“The higher alcohol content of fortified wines (15-21% ABV) allows them to withstand the high level of heat that cooking involves,” says Carney.

Additionally, alcohol is a solvent that unifies flavors, “so fortified wines do that especially well, says Sherman, “because of their higher alcohol and the bold flavors they themselves contribute.”

“Amontillado Sherry is often added to mushroom soup,” he says, “while Marsala flavors classic Italian zabaglione.”

5 Fortified Wine Styles to Know

Not all fortified wines are made by the same process, which results in diverse styles. Here are five common fortified wine styles you should know.

Port: A favorite of Dean Carney’s, (who was honored as a Cavalheiro of Port by George Sandeman), Port wine is named for the city in Portugal — Porto — from which the wines were shipped. 

• Made in the Douro Valley, Port is one of only a few fortified wines made from red grapes; specifically, from multiple varieties native to Portugal.
• Port wine is finished in several different styles, the most common being Tawny and Ruby.
• You will find Port in bottles that are vintage-dated by year (like table wines), as well as in bottles showing age expressions (like 10-year, 20-year, etc.).
• In terms of flavor, notes of berries, chocolate, dried fruit, and nuts are frequently attributed to Port.

Sherry: The term Sherry is derived from the city in Spain from which these wines originate, which is Jerez. 

• Sherry is arguably the most diverse category of fortified wines, with styles dependent on production style (e.g., biological aging under a layer of yeast; oxidative aging wherein wine is exposed to oxygen; a combination of both aging techniques).
• A popular misconception is that Sherry is an exclusively sweet wine. In reality, most Sherries are dry and many are savory.
• Common types of Sherry include Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, and Oloroso.

Marsala: Marsala is most famous in the U.S. for its culinary applications: Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish that utilizes the wine for sauce. 

• Marsala is made from a variety of white grapes in Sicily.
• In addition to its fortification with grape brandy, Marsala has a “cooked” component added — called “mosto cotto” — where heated grape juice adds a caramelized or nutty flavor to the wine.
• Color, sweetness, and age also determine Marsala’s various styles.

Madeira: Coming from the island of Madeira near Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira as we know it was developed by accident. 

• Madeira wine was fortified in order to be shipped by sea.
• Sea-shipped wines, however, often assumed a baked characteristic after stored barrels were subjected to excessive heat during transport.
• Finding that this "baked characteristic" imparted desirable qualities in the wine, Madeiras are now purposefully heated during the aging process to deepen their flavor and color, and to aid in their longevity.
• Madeira is made from both red and white grapes. 

It’s a favorite of Sherman’s: “I do love the fact that Madeira has an indestructible nature due to its process of production — and it’s delicious, too,” he says.

Vermouth: Best known for its application in cocktails, Vermouth is a style of fortified wine that hails from Turin, Italy, and that is produced as both a fortified and aromatized style of wine. 

• Aromatized wines have additional botanical elements added in order to flavor them.
• The term “vermouth” comes from the German, “vermut,” meaning “wormwood,” which is typically included as one of the botanicals.
• Unlike the above fortified wines, vermouth is not a protected name, and thus has the widest variety of characteristics.
• Vermouth can be made from any grape in a number of styles, and it can be flavored with an array of botanicals.
• Besides its use in cocktails, vermouth is widely consumed as both an aperitivo and a spritz.