What comes to your mind when you think about wines? Is it only about rose, red and white wines and the wine glass? If the answer is YES, then let us change the idea now on.
There is something beyond the rose, red and white wines. Let us together explore this. Today we will discussing about fortified wines and aromatized wines in this article.
This article will a answer guide to your questions. Hold your breath tight!
Without further intro, let’s begin!
Fortified Wines
These are wines fortified by the addition of alcohol (usually brandy) either during or after fermentation. This increases the alcoholic content from 14% to 24%. Examples of these wines are Sherry, Port, Madeira and Marsala. These wines are drunk either before or after a meal.
Types of fortified wines
- Port: It can claim to be the world’s greatest fortified wine. It was created at beginning of the eighteenth century in the Duoro Valley in Portugal. There are actually different types of port. Ruby Port is matured in the shortest time in casks, is full bodied, robust and deep ruby in colour. Crusted Port is a blend of high quality wines usually from different vintages. It is very elegant and well-balanced wine. White Port is made from white grapes and it is awesome. Vintage Port is a delicate and mellow wine.
- Sherry: It is a blended and fortified wine that comes from the town of Jerez in Spain. There are basically two categories of sherry: Fino and Olorosa both of which start life as pale, dry wines but get converted into medium or sweet wines by blending. The difference in the Fino develops the with the appearance of a curious yeast growth called flor, which appears on the surface of the fermenting wine in casks, which are kept open to the air.Those wine casks which do not have this growth are called raya or ‘wines for burning’ from which Oloroso develops. Sherry has no vintage year. The most important grape used for Sherry is Palomino. Well known Fino sherries are Fino, Mauzavilla and Amontillado.
- Madeira: Madeira is one of the most versatile of the fortified wines. It can be served as an soup wine, dessert wine or an after dinner wine. The most distinctive feature of Madeira is its curious smoky after taste.
- Marsala: It is the main dessert wine in Italy, made in north-west Sicily. Interesting, right! It is dark, strongly flavoured wine with scorched taste like Madeira. The best varieties are good, inexpensive after dinner drinks while the dry variety called virgin is good as an aperitif. .
- Malaga: It has a predominant aroma and bauquet of raisins and is fairly inexpensive dessert wine. It is just awesome and wonderful!
- Tarragona: It is a thick, deeply coloured, very sweet wine from Barcelona, Spain.
Sounding interesting Right! If you did not think that wines can be so exciting, here is a chance. Give it a thought!
Okay let us move ahead, to make the concept of wine more interesting!
Aromatized Wines
These wines are prepared with the addition of brandy or neutral spirits and flavoured with herbs, barks and other flavourings.
Types of aromatized wines
- Vermouth: This wine is prepared with cheap base wine, flavoured with wormwood, quinine, coriander, Orris root, bitter almond, Chinchona bark, Quassia wood, cloves, nutmeg, Angelica root, orange peels, Cinnamon and Rosemary. Conzano is a famous brand of Vermouth. The typical vermouth of Italy is dark red and sweet while that of France is white, fairly dry and much lighter. Close cousins of vermouth that are patent aperitifs are Dubbonet, Pineau des Charentes from the Cognac region and Saint Raphael.
- Bitters: These are used both as drinks and medicinally. Bitters are often used in mixed drinks and are believed to relieve hangovers. Campari is the best known biter which is red in colour and flavoured with orange peel. Angoustra bitter is rum based and made in Trinidad. Bitters may come in other flavours such as orange, peach etc. A few drops, are required to give the flavour.
Sparkling Wines
Wines which have carbon dioxide to make it fizzy, is achieved by pressure or re-fermentation when the carbon dioxide is captured in the bottle. Champagne is the monarch in the category. Alcohol content is less than 14%. These wines are drunk on festive occasions and throughout a meal.
Popular Sparkling Champagne Brands
- Marquis De Valnay
- Henkell Trocken-Germany
- Blue Nun Gold- Germany
- Cooks Champagne Brut-California
- Deutz Marlborough Cuvee Brut- New Zeeland
So these are some exciting features and types of fortified wines, aromatized wines and sparkling wines. The concept of wine is very broad and is beyond something common that we daily come across in our life.
Today, in this article, we tried our best to bring the unexplored and extra-ordinary side of wines. Hope you enjoyed. Do not forget to stay connected with us for further updates.
