An important role in the production of fortified wines is played by alcohol, whose quality and production method both largely influence the organoleptic qualities of wine. The alcohol used for fortification is produced with different methods and substances - however and always according to the production disciplinary of each wine - and it can be obtained by the distillation of grape's pomace, wine, sugar beet, sugar cane, agricultural byproducts and even petrol. In some cases are also used wine brandies aged in cask, such as Cognac. The organoleptic qualities of the alcohol used for fortification represent - as a matter of fact - an important factor because, it should be remembered, in quality fortified wines the perception of ethereal characteristics should be the least perceptible possible. Of course quality alcohol has a higher cost - and this also affects the cost of the finished product - and it is used in quality fortified wines destined to a long period of aging in bottle. In fortified wines intended for early consumption, the quality of alcohol is generally lower.
The alcohol mainly used in fortified wines is produced with the continuous distillation method, the same system used, for example, for the production of many brandies. The most neutral alcohols, poor in aromatic substances, are generally used for the fortification of wines destined to an early consumption or in those wines which have to keep their primary aromatic characteristic, such as fortified wines produced with Muscat Blanc grapes. The alcohol produced with the method of discontinuous distillation - the same system used for the production of grappa - is rarely used in the fortification of wines because of its high quantity of aromatic substances which would greatly influence the aromas of wine. It should be remembered alcohol or the fortifying agent, have their own aromas and alter - or better to say, enrich - the aromatic qualities of the base wine. The aromatic qualities of alcohol should not be confused with its ethereal aroma, that is the characteristic pungent and burning smell, that when it is evidently perceivable in a fortified wine it is considered as a fault. The preparation of base wine depends on the style of wine to be obtained. The production process begins just like any other wine: it begins with harvest, the grapes are crushed in order to obtain the must that will be subsequently fermented. In certain wines - such as some styles of Port, sweet Madeiras and French Vin Doux Naturel, the fermentation of must is stopped by adding alcohol in order to inhibit the activity of yeast while keeping residual sugar that will contribute to wine's sweetness. In the so called vin de liqueur, such as Pineau de Charentes produced in the Cognac region and usually served as a sweet aperitif, the fermentation of must is completely avoided. Soon after the grape has been pressed, a certain quantity of Cognac aged in cask is being added to the must and the alcohol will prevent any fermentative process. The result is a fortified grape juice which will be aged in cask for some months as well as for some years. In dry fortified wines - such as Jerez Fino and Manzanilla or Marsala Vergine - alcohol, or the fortifying agent, is added at the end of the production of base wine. In this case the production is just like any other dry wine - white or red - with an alcoholic percentage of about 12%, and after the usual practices of stabilization and aging are done, just like any other wine, some alcohol is added until reaching a percentage between 15% and 22%. This operation is just the beginning of a new production phase, because it will be the subsequent practices that will give character, complexity and typicality to the final product. These processes have a variable duration from 12 months to some tens of years, such as in case of some styles of Port, Marsala, Madeira and Jerez.
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The color of a 20 years old Tawny Port |
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Apparently, the systems used for the production of many fortified wines would make anyone think about a deliberate degradation and spoilage of the wine in order to turn it into something undrinkable. In fact many of the organoleptic qualities of fortified wines - the qualities that make fortified wines complex and amazing - are the result of violent alterations that would be lethal for any other wine and thanks to the presence of alcohol, and its capacity of preservative, the wine can be transformed into a sublime nectar. Oxidation, broad thermal variations, heating, veil and partially filled casks, are all phenomena considered negative in any wine and are always and scrupulously avoided, as they are cause of chemical and organoleptic alterations that would make the wine undrinkable or however not agreeable. In fortified wines these phenomena are essential and are deliberately encouraged. In case these very phenomena are encouraged in normal wines, the result would be catastrophic because they would be cause of other faults and defects, including the development of vinegar bacteria during the phase of oxidation. The evolution of fortified wines is generally done in wood casks usually filled for four fifths of total volume and in order to expose the wine to the effects of oxygen, in other words it is being encouraged an oxidation, even strong, that will give wine particular organoleptic qualities. In other areas of the world - of which the most famous one is Jerez - in the surface of contact with air is usually formed the so called flor, also known as veil, a particular variety of yeast of the Saccharomyces family that, besides releasing its organoleptic qualities to wine, it also shields it from the excessive effects of oxidation. Another method used for the aging of fortified wines is the so called solera y criaderas - particularly known for the production of Jerez and used for other wines as well, such as Marsala - consists in ensuring a constant quality of the product over the time. The aging and the evolution of fortified wines can last many years - frequently tens of years - and in this period complex and extraordinary aromatic qualities are being developed, qualities which make this style of wines unique. At the end of the aging period, the wine is drawn off from casks and processed with the usual stabilization and clarification practices, then it is bottled and ready for commercialization. The production of fortified wines is among the most complex and delicate enological techniques, a patient work which lasts years and that allows the production of an absolutely unique wine, capable of satisfying every wine lover who is looking for particular and rich emotions and who is not easy to be seduced by the craze of modern lifestyles. |