Fortified wines are wines to which spirits such as brandy are added. Fortified wine was initially born out of necessity but as consumers appreciated the flavor, producers continued producing it. Fortified wines are wines that are fortified with extra alcohol that is been added to the base wine during fermentation process. Fortified wines are delicious wines prepared from adding additional alcohol content of around 17-20%. A fortified wine can be prepared in either sweet or dry styles.

The derivation of fortified wine can be traced back in 16th century, when a large number of countries were exporting wine. Unluckily, these wines were not self- stable and they frequently got spoiled during the shipping process. In order to preserve their wines, winemakers started adding brandy, generating fortified wine.

There are large numbers of varieties of fortified wines. Some of the famous fortified wines are- Marsala from Italy, Port and Madeira from Portugal, Vermouth from France, Sherry from Spain etc. If brandy is added subsequent to the fermentation process, the end result is a dry wine similar to traditional dry Vermouth. Adding brandy before the fermentation process begins makes a very rich, sweet fortified wine such as Port, which is often utilized as a dessert wine. Depending on how the wine is handled and aged, the flavor can differ extensively; from the extreme tartness of an extra- dry Vermouth to the mellowness of cream sherry. Most fortified wines acquired their names after the regions producing it, as each regional fortified wine has a different or distinct style.

Most fortified wines are blends of various vintages and grapes. There are two types of fortified wines: - sweet fortified wine and dry fortified wine. “Neutral grape spirits” is a term used to refer to the alcohol that is added to convert a still wine into a fortified wine. For the preparation of sweet fortified wine, neutral grape spirits are usually added within the initial day and a half of fermentation. After the addition of alcohol to the still wine; the yeast prevents conversion of sugar into alcohol and the entire grape sugar is retained in the wine as residual sugar. For the preparation of dry fortified wine, one should permit the complete fermentation process to run its course, thereby consuming the remaining sugar and then adding the neutral grape spirits to the wine. Many fortified wines undertake aging process in wood casks.

Wine fortification, typically involves the addition of brandy spirit to the partly fermented wine which retains the flavor and color of the wine. After fortification, the wine is typically left to mature in little oak barrels, maturing into aromatic wines accompanied with immense concentration and depth of flavor. Fortified wines are essentially a delicious treat to the wine lovers and hold a special place in the hearts of people appreciating dessert-style wines. A fortified wine is known for its significant contribution in the world of wine as both a dessert wine option and as an aperitif. There are many foods which make a wonderful combination with fortified wines such as: - nuts, cheese, cream-based desserts, fruit torts, chocolate dessert etc. The popular fortified wine known as Port goes well with blue cheese, berry-based dessert and milk chocolate. Sherry wines can be used as a cooking wine and sometimes fortified wines are used in mixed bar drinks. The main advantage of fortified wine is that it lasts longer than any other traditional wines.