Fortified wine

Fortified wine and fortified wine is a generic term for various wines whose fermentation process is interrupted by additional alcohol ( aufgespritet ) are. These wines, often referred to as a dessert wine, are correspondingly high in alcohol and usually have a residual sugar, but can also be vinified dry. The unenriched Italian Vin Santo, which has an alcohol content of around 16 percent is expected in the German language by mistake to the liqueur wines. Overall, the conceptual distinctions liqueur wine and dessert wine are often inaccurate and thus misleading.

The definition is set out in the EU Regulation 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999. The potential alcoholic strength of the must to be fermented must be at least twelve percent by volume, that is the must weight should be at least 84 degrees Oechsle. After the expansion of liqueur wine, the alcohol content of the wine at 15 has up to max. 22 volume percent. As the alcohol additive neutral alcohol from the distillation of wine with at least 96 percent by volume or distillates of wine, such as wine or grape marc with at least 52 and a maximum of 86 percent by volume may be used. Before the addition of alcohol must be present by the alcoholic fermentation is already an existing alcohol content of at least four percent by volume.

Regional differentiation

In France, wines naturel referred to the family of vin Mute summarizes the vin de liqueur or vin liquoreux or vin doux. Appellations, where the vins doux naturel are made are Banyuls, Rivesaltes, Muscat de Rivesaltes, Maury, Muscat de Beaumes -de -Venise, Muscat de Saint -Jean -de- Minervois, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat du Cap Corse and Rasteau.

In Spain, the wines were grouped under the generic term of Vino generoso. All sherry, manzanilla, mistelas, some wines from Montilla- Moriles, the wines of Malaga are Generosos.

In Portugal, these wines are called Vinho generoso. The Generosos from Madeira, Porto and Setúbal are the best known.

In Italy, Vino is liquoroso very popular and is produced in almost all wine-growing regions.

Samos is a liqueur wine from Greece.

History

The expansion of liqueur wines originated in southern growing areas. The high must weights of local crops with relatively high ambient temperatures during fermentation made ​​for a very stormy onset of fermentation with simultaneous risk of uncontrolled stopping the fermentation. This often resulted in a wine that could not be preserved. This was supported by the fact that the winemaker did not know the preservative effect of sulfur dioxide. Without preservatives quickly emerged wines with high volatile acid, the so-called vinegar down.

The addition of neutral alcohol during fermentation caused a good preservative and also enabled by the choice of the moment of addition of alcohol to control the residual sweetness. In California and Australia, the so-called fortified featured wines still an important part of production in the 1960s dar. Bestselling products were fortified wines with an alcohol content of up to 20 vol - %, which represented a cost-effective, since tax-advantaged alternative to hard alcohol.

Through modern winemaking technology as a more timely harvest, the cooling of the fermentation tank and the sulfurization the Spritung the wines would be superfluous. Therefore, a number insufficient quality products has disappeared from the market and was replaced by high-quality wines of modern style. For example, the Spanish region of Rueda is mentioned.