The 2011 Global Focus – Fortified wine – is an oenological mashup, in which wine and spirits are combined to produce a heartier drink for the playlist of your palate. From Portugal’s Port and Madeira, to Italy’s Marsala, to France’s Vermouth and Spain’s Sherry, these regional styles are higher in alcohol content than unfortified wine. Although there is evidence of wine fortified by wormwood in ancient Greece, the styles we know today developed during the 16^th and 17^th centuries as a way to preserve European wines on long trade voyages. A measure of distilled alcohol, such as brandy, added before or during the fermentation process, helped stabilize the wine and protect it during the vagaries of sea travel. Now, practicality has become preference and fortified wines are popular for their own sake, as an aperitif or dessert wine.