Fortified wines, like sparkling wines, are the result of a process beyond simple vinification.
Fortified wines are manipulated through the addition of neutral grape spirit, in order to strengthen the base wines for the purpose of added body, warmth, durability or ageworthiness. Through centuries of effort, the world’s premier fortified wine regions have developed unique regimes of production and aging; these methodologies—or manipulations of the base material—have become inextricably linked to the terroir of the wines. Port, Madeira, and Sherry represent the three great archetypes of fortified wine, yet each is utterly distinct. Sicily’s Marsala; France’s vin doux naturel; many of Greece’s PDO wines; Portugal’s Setúbal, Carcavelos, and Pico; Sherry’s close cousins Málaga, Montilla-Moriles, and Condado de Huelva; the many fading traditional styles of the Iberian peninsula—Tarragona Clásico, Rueda Dorado, etc.—and a myriad number of New World adaptations constitute the remaining stratum of fortified wine styles. Vermouth and quinquinas, fortified wines flavored by maceration with additional herbs and spices (cinchona bark is essential to the flavor of quinquinas) are properly considered aromatized wines.
There are three general methods of fortification. A wine’s fermentation may be arrested through the addition of spirit while sugars remain (as in the case of Port) or the wine may be fortified after the fermentation has concluded (as in the case of Sherry). The latter method produces a dry fortified wine, although the winemaker may restore sweetness by the addition of sweetened wine or grape syrup. The third method, in which grape must is fortified prior to fermentation, produces a mistelle rather than a fortified wine. This category was once exclusively known as vins de liq
Perfect thank you Justin
Troy Tranzow hoping to answer your question here. Partidistas are essentially brokers who buy wine from the production companies to age them, and then sell them once they have matured at a profit to the shipping companies. Technically, they are also able to produce wine as well, but most do not. According to Noël Cossart, 'partidistas' were very useful to shipping companies, saving them from having to store wines for a long time before selling them. This allowed shippers to essentially move stock that was mature and ready to drink more efficiently, without having to sit on aging wine for many decades with no financial return. Pereira d'Oliveira began as a partidista in the 1850's, and then eventually registered with the IVBAM as a shipping company approved for export.
Does a partidistas company produce wine and sell it at maturity to traders? Or do they buy from producers and sell it at maturity to traders (a middle man of sorts)?
Not sure if mentioned prior, however, I've been told by the IVBAM that Tinta Negra is approved for varietal labeling as of 2015, and that there is a 50-year old indication of age for Multi-Vintage blends
There may be a mistake in the guide or something in my understanding of Gouveio (Godello) is not right. Could you please help me to clarify? Thanks:
In the list of Madeira varieties Verdelho has Gouveio as a synonym however; in Wine Grapes by Robinson and Hardy (p. 1119) is mentioned that is not the case. In p.414, they also mention that Verdelho in Dao is equal to Gouveio but is genetically different to the true Verdelho from Madeira.