hist-brewing: RE: hist-brewing

[Kirsty Pollock]

I knew I was confused :-)

BUT... one can now obtain yeasts with a high enough alcohol tolerance to
possibly make 'port strength' wine, though I've never used them.

KP

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marc Shapiro [mailto:m_shapiro at bigfoot.com]
> Sent: 19 September 2000 14:41
> To: Kirsty Pollock
> Subject: Re: hist-brewing: Re: port
> 
> 
> Port IS fortified, sherry is not.  Sherry uses the solara system to
> insure uniformity by adding new wine to older wine so that there is
> always a little bit of EVERY year's vintage.  It is a blend of all
> vintages since the solara was started.  That is why you will 
> never see a
> vintage year on sherry.
> 
> As for why fermentation is stopped and the wine fortified when making
> port:  At least part of the answer is to leave some of the 
> natural grape
> sugars in the wine.  I imagine that there are other reasons, as well,
> but that is the way it is done.
> 
> After fortifying, it should be aged.  You are adding a fair amount of
> raw alcohol and the result is going to taste hot and raw 
> without aging. 
> Oak ageing would probably be best, but I can't say for sure, as I have
> never tried to make port before.  (I have made a fortified mead and it
> certainly needed aging, after which it was fantastic.)
> 
> Marc
> 
> Kirsty Pollock wrote:
> > 
> > > In a message dated 9/18/00 10:30:35 AM Central Daylight Time,
> > > nerenner at umich.edu writes:
> > >
> > > > Port is made by fermenting red wine about halfway, then 
> adding enough
> > > >  brandy (distilled wine, not aged, fancy stuff) to 
> bring the alcohol
> > > >  to about 20% and stop fermentation.  It is then aged.  
> I imagine you
> > > >  could use inexpensive high proof vodka or Everclear.
> > > >
> > >   Why stop it, rather than letting it run to completion?
> > >   Takes quite a bit of 80-proof brandy, doesn't it?
> > >   Can I bottle it then, and age it in the bottles?  Or 
> does it need more
> > >   carboy time?
> > 
> > I was under the impression that port ISN'T fortified with 
> anything. I recall
> > reading about port production in portugal in one of my 
> books, but can't
> > remember the exact details or whether I am confusing part 
> of it with sherry
> > production. I shall have a check when I get home tonight as 
> I could well be
> > wrong.
> 
> Marc Shapiro
> m_shapiro at bigfoot.com
> http://www.bigfoot.com/!m_shapiro/
> 

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