This week’s wine focus highlights a category of fortified wines known for their comforting, warming qualities and distinctive brownish hues—characteristics that are typically seen as negative in standard table wines due to oxidation, but which here often signal extended aging and complexity.
Port, sherry, and madeira stand out as classic examples of such fortified wines. Unlike ordinary wines where browning suggests a loss of freshness, these fortified varieties acquire their tawny color through lengthy maturation in wooden barrels, developing rich and layered profiles. These wines generally have higher alcohol content and remain drinkable for several weeks once opened, encouraging slow and contemplative enjoyment.
While traditional producers like González Byass, Lustau, and Barbadillo still dominate the sherry landscape, new entrants are bringing fresh perspectives. One notable newcomer is Diatomists, a producer named after the silica-based diatoms found in the albariza soil of some of Spain’s finest vineyards. Diatomists focuses on expressing terroir in their fresher, palest styles such as Fino and Manzanilla sherry, sourced from their own solera at the Dominio de las Ánimas bodega on Pago Balbaína vineyard. Older, more complex wines are sourced from small-scale almacenistas, the sherry analogues to cheese affineurs. The company also markets many sherries in half-bottles, making these traditionally large-format wines more accessible.
Among Diatomists’ offerings, a 12-year-old Oloroso and a 12-year-old Amontillado have drawn praise for their quality and approachable prices. Additionally, their medium sherry—a blend involving aged Oloroso and the sweet Pedro Ximénez grape—stands out as a rich, well-rounded option.
In the realm of port, the Quevedo family from Portugal’s Douro Valley has earned growing international recognition. With a century of grape-growing experience but a relatively recent focus on their own port and table wines, the Quevedos combine tradition and innovation. Fifth-generation producer Oscar Quevedo has been noted for leaving a banking career to pursue winemaking full-time. Their ports are available through UK and US importers and have been featured in “liquid advent calendars,” showcasing a range of vintages and styles.
Further afield, Carcavelos Vinho Generoso, a pale orange-tawny wine from an appellation near Lisbon, is undergoing a revival driven by local authorities seeking to protect the region from overdevelopment. The wine, made from indigenous white grapes, is noted for its complexity and a unique hint of licorice.
Another notable fortified category gaining attention is the French vin doux naturel (VDN), particularly from Roussillon’s Banyuls and Rivesaltes appellations. Numerous aged bottles have been preserved in local cellars, with specialist traders offering vintages dating back to the 1930s. Producers such as Domaine Le Roc des Anges, working biodynamically, offer elegant and nuanced VDNs from the Maury appellation that include nutty and almond-tinged profiles.
Australia’s mid-20th-century legacy of sweet “tonic” wines remains through cherished Muscats of Rutherglen and historic Seppeltsfield offerings, prized for their enduring quality.
Other fortified and aromatic wines gaining renewed interest in the UK include Marsala—often in its dry style—various artisanal vermouths, and fine vins de liqueur such as select English blends combining grape juice and spirits.
These fortified, often brown-hued wines provide an inviting respite for those seeking both comfort and complexity in a glass, bridging centuries of tradition with evolving contemporary practices.