What is put into wine and sherries to fortify them?!
What is put into wine and sherries to fortify them?
Answers:
Wine, actually. Brandy is used, which is just distilled wine.
Brandy
Fortifications...
Ordinary wines are not fortified but sherry is with wine spirits, which is basically young brandy. Also, extra sugar is added to some as are spices or herbs for old fashioned type wines. Other fortified wines also use brandy but the grape type, cask used and length of time in store for maturing varies.
Port is a fortified wine and together with Sherry, it is "fortified," with a distilled spirit 'brandy'
Spirit.
Brandy usually.
Salut mon brave!!
Fortified wines were 1st produced to stabilise wine while being shipped in barrels.
By increasing the alcoholic strength, any yeast present dies (due to the higher alcohol %) thus preventing a secondary fermentation.
What is used to increase the alcoholic strength is a very basic, young and not a fine brandy (any good quality brandy that has the potential of becoming a star would not be used here).