From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!rabbit!wolit Newsgroups: net.wines Title: Fortified wines Article-I.D.: rabbit.1207 Posted: Fri Mar 11 16:20:58 1983 Received: Sat Mar 12 06:33:40 1983 In response to a recent query: Fortified wines are made by adding distilled wines to regular wines. This is necessary because, as pointed out, the yeasts responsible for the fermentation of sugar to alcohol are themselves poisoned by alcohol concentrations above 11% - 13% or so. By distillation, that is, by heating to increase the vaporization of the more volatile components -- in this case, alcohol -- and then condensing the vapors, the concentration of alcohol in the product is raised (and the character is changed, too, of course). Thus, distilled wines are to regular wines as, for instance, a malt whiskey is to beer. Distilled wines include such things as brandy and cognac. Fortified wines are such products are sherry and port.