Barossa Wines – Types of Fortified Wines

Barossa wines have long been world renowned for their intense flavour, rich aroma, and complexity over time. Fortified Barossa wines are gaining popularity with the consumer market throughout Australia. Fortified wines are wines that have a distilled beverage added to them. This is often brandy, and it is added to the wine during the fermentation process. If the alcohol is added during the early fermentation process the fortified wine will be sweet. The reason for this is that the alcohol added destroys the yeast in the wine and leaves residual sugar, resulting in a higher sugar content in the wine. If the alcohol is added at the end of the fermenting process, then the resulting fortified wine will by dryer. Below we have provided a quick overview of the types of fortified wines, information you can add to your expanding knowledge of Barossa wines.   

·         Port:  is wine which has had brandy added to it.  It is usually a sweet red fortified wine, but can also be produced in both dry and white varieties.   Tawny port is port which has been left to age in a wooden barrel for a minimum of 7 years.  The wine takes on a golden-brown colour and usually a ‘nutty’ flavour.  Tawny port is considered to be consumed as a dessert wine.  A white port is made from white grapes and can range from dry to very sweet.  When left to age over a period of time, the colour darkens and can become like a tawny port in appearance.  Vintage port is probably the most renowned of the port varieties.  Vintage ports are left to age in barrels for at least 2 ½ years before bottling, then stored for anywhere from 10 to 30 years.  Vintage ports can fetch large sums of money and some particular vintages are considered much sought after.  Some vintage ports can last for decades, and only get better with age.  Ruby port, considered the least expensive type of port, is stored in either concrete or stainless steel tanks to prevent oxidisation in order to preserve its rich red claret colour.  Ruby port does not generally improve with age. 

·         Sherry:  is made from white grapes, sherry can come as either a dry light fortified wine, or as a sweet darker fortified wine.  However the majority of sherries are dry, because brandy is added to the wine after the fermentation process. 

·         Vermouth:  is a fortified wine which has had aromatic herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, marjoram, and chamomile, added to it, instead of brandy or another spirit. 

·         Marsala:  is from Sicily, and is a strong fortified wine, however it is also produced as an unfortified wine.  Marsala is made by fortifying it with brandy, with one style of Marsala being aged for around 4 months giving a lighter wine style, and the second style of Marsala which is stronger with a higher alcohol content and is aged for at least 2 years. 

·         Madeira:  this type of fortified wine ranges from very dry wines to sweeter dessert style wines. 

To learn more about wines, and in particular, Barossa wines, feel free to look through our website, we offer many interesting articles on all sorts of topics relating to wine, with a keen focus on the always impressive production of great quality Barossa wines.