"Port is not for the very young, the vain and the active. It is the comfort of age and the companion of the scholar and the philosopher."

-Evelyn Waugh

Fortified wines were born of the need to preserve European wines on long trade voyages during the 16th and 17th centuries. Measures of brandy were added before or during the fermentation process to stabilize the wine. On long sea voyages, fortified wines were able to withstand the wildly fluctuating temperatures and constant motion they were subjected to in the ship's hold.

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Virtually the same process is used to make today's fortified wines. The resulting wines typically contain between 17 and 21 per cent alcohol, and are more stable than ordinary table wines and less likely to spoil once opened. If Brandy is added after the fermentation process, the result is a dry wine. If added before fermentation, the result is a sweet wine with a high sugar content.

There are four key types of fortified wines: Port, Sherry (named for Jerez, its Spanish birthplace), Madiera [muh-DEH-rah] (named for the island southwest of Portugal on which it is made) and Marsala (the best-known fortified wine of Italy). The latter two are often used in cooking, but some drinkable types are available.