Fortified wine is integral to the history of the world of beverages. Its legacy was established in the 1600s as the wine trade rounded the Cape of Good Hope and crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Fortification, popularized by the British, made it possible for wines to survive during these long trips.
Fortified wines have a huge diversity across the spectrum of their incarnations, and there are wide-ranging offerings within their respective categories. In terms of price, they vary as much as their unfortified counterparts. They are dry, sweet, and all points in between. They can be unaged or complexed by oxidative maturation, mass-produced or the preserve of savvy enthusiasts. Some are drunk very young, when vibrantly fruity. Others are consumed as 200-year-old vinous treasures. The variances of style are virtually limitless.
Today, fortified wines constitute 5% to 10% of global wine production, with a market value of around US$19 billion. This guide focuses on the world’s most important fortified wines, ranging from the Iberian classics to France’s vins doux naturels to Cape Port. These are the wines, appearing on restaurant lists and in retail settings in the major wine markets globally, that are important for expert-level professionals to understand.
Fortified wines are defined by the addition of distilled grape-based spirit before, during, or after alcoholic fermentation. All fortified wines have elevated alcohol, and each category is made using a distinct method of production that sets it apart from other categories. In this respect, these wines could be considered more “made,” or manipulated, than their unfortified or dry wine counterparts.
The timing of fortification is crucial in the manufacture of fortified wines as, depending on the
It might be worth noting just how much outsized the US share of the Madeira market is by value. In 2024, the USA is 6.7% by volume, but 12.4% by value (and those are percentages of the total market, not just exports). A more impactful way of looking at it is in terms of average price per liter.... Every major export market (including Japan and the UK) and the domestic Portuguese market hover around €5-8 per liter and no market is over €10. The only exceptions are France and the USA. France uses almost exclusively bulk cooking wine and is at a meager €3.37 per liter despite being the biggest export market by volume. On the other hand in 2024 the US paid an average of €12.36 per liter, which is actually significantly down from a peak in 2022 of €16.99. Depending on the year (and I suspect the fluctuations of Rare Wine Co's inventory), the USA is +/- of €15.00 per liter. This makes the USA the 3rd biggest market by value, behind only the domestic Portuguese market and France. The UK, Japan, and Switzerland are major markets, but their value vs. volume is actually mostly in line with other markets. Top Madeira and top prices for Madeira is still pretty much unique to the USA.
Thanks, Mark! This is confirmed and updated!
Thank you for this wonderful guide! As a note the legislation no longer requires any time in oak for vintage port - only that it be bottled in the third year. Symington, for example, no longer uses cask maturation on any of their vintage bottlings.
Many thanks Gianluca. I hope you find it useful. Happy New Year. Rgs, Demetri
Excellent, as always, Dimitri. Thank you!