What makes a wine receive the nomenclature of fortified?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
The term "fortified" conveys quite literally how wines are strengthened with the addition of a distilled spirit at varying stages of the production process. The spirit acts to raise the total alcoholic content of the finished product to around 15% to 20% by volume. There are many fortified wines produced around the world. In the case of most Ports (from Portugal, that is), port-style wines and sweet Madeiras, spirit is added during fermentation, thus killing off the yeasts and leaving a varying amount of sugar. This approach also applies to the many so-called natural sweet wines or vins doux naturels such as those based on the Muscat grape in southern France and other Mediterranean countries. Some fortifieds are termed "liqueur" wines, and for this style the fortification is done in the very early stages of, if not before, fermentation so that the grapes macerate and release their flavors through the action of the added alcohol. The spirit used for fortification is usually dictated by local regulations, and, generally speaking, the finest fortified wines employ only grape-based spirit. I would argue that fortified wines represent not only some of the most extraordinary members of the world of wine, but also can be fantastic values - if not outright steals given their multidimensional personalities and often low prices.
