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.