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 16th
and 17th 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.
I learn and taste so much at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival that I seldom miss it. It's one of the world's best festivals -- certainly Canada's.