A recent post discussing Port wines got me thinking which fortified wine is my favorite, but I couldn't decide.
Port Fortification is added to stop fermentation, which leaves some residual sugar.
Ruby is the most wine-like, fruity and un-oxidized, but like young wine, is often too sharp.
Tawny is incredibly accessible and sure to be a crowd-pleaser, but some think too syrup-ey.
LBV is a vintage wanna-be: nice, but not much more than high-alcohol table wine.
Vintage is fantastic, but hard to learn, because availability restricts ability to try a wide variety.
Colheita, A Vintage Tawny, truly something special; A real treat, especially for occasions.
Sherry (Jerez) Dry, because completely fermented; if it's sweet, sugar was added later.
Aged and oxidized in oak (Solera is a system of oak casks, one siphoning to the next) depending on how log it is aged affects darkness and vanilla-oak flavors. Fino and Manzanilla are young, bright and dry, Amontillado and Oloroso are older, thus darker and richer, often bordering semi-sweet.
Cream, Dulce, Moscatel, are sweet from added sugar after fermentation.
Pedro Ximenez: made from dried (raisin-ed) Pedro Ximenez grape: thick, sweet, a little prune-juice-ish.
Madeira Very similar to Sherry, but aged using heat; either artificially heated or left in a hot environment, to replicate the time spent in the holds of it's transporting ship. Aged a minimum of 5 years for Reserve, 10 for Special Reserve, up to 20 for Colheita.
Marsala Think Italian Sherry: I really can't tell a difference, and my cooking wine of choice.
Vermouth Most people only know as an ingredient in cocktails, the right ones are fantastic apertifs and digestifs.
How do you like 'em?
Port Fortification is added to stop fermentation, which leaves some residual sugar.
Ruby is the most wine-like, fruity and un-oxidized, but like young wine, is often too sharp.
Tawny is incredibly accessible and sure to be a crowd-pleaser, but some think too syrup-ey.
LBV is a vintage wanna-be: nice, but not much more than high-alcohol table wine.
Vintage is fantastic, but hard to learn, because availability restricts ability to try a wide variety.
Colheita, A Vintage Tawny, truly something special; A real treat, especially for occasions.
Sherry (Jerez) Dry, because completely fermented; if it's sweet, sugar was added later.
Aged and oxidized in oak (Solera is a system of oak casks, one siphoning to the next) depending on how log it is aged affects darkness and vanilla-oak flavors. Fino and Manzanilla are young, bright and dry, Amontillado and Oloroso are older, thus darker and richer, often bordering semi-sweet.
Cream, Dulce, Moscatel, are sweet from added sugar after fermentation.
Pedro Ximenez: made from dried (raisin-ed) Pedro Ximenez grape: thick, sweet, a little prune-juice-ish.
Madeira Very similar to Sherry, but aged using heat; either artificially heated or left in a hot environment, to replicate the time spent in the holds of it's transporting ship. Aged a minimum of 5 years for Reserve, 10 for Special Reserve, up to 20 for Colheita.
Marsala Think Italian Sherry: I really can't tell a difference, and my cooking wine of choice.
Vermouth Most people only know as an ingredient in cocktails, the right ones are fantastic apertifs and digestifs.
How do you like 'em?
