The European Union has approved, at the request of the Spanish Government, to extend the modification of the so-called fortified wine. This name that was related to Andalusian wines can now also be used for the golden and pale wines made in the D.O Rueda.
Thus these wines of the DO Rueda along with Andalusian wines from the Montilla-Moriles, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda Denominations of Origin. Jerez, Málaga, Condado de Huelva and Lebrija may be known and classified as “generous wine”.
This rule will come into force from February 1st and includes these wines that are made in a special way.
What is a fortified wine?
The so-called fortified wines are those that, once made and fermented, or in this process, wine alcohol is added. In Spain, in addition to the Denominations of Origin mentioned above, there are other areas where the same technique is also used. This is the well-known case with high prestige of wines Fondillón that are made in the D.O Alicante. Also some wines in the Tarragona area such as their rancid wines.
These fortified wines or also called fortified wines, due to this contribution of alcohol, are made from white grapes. They also have a minimum of two barrel maturations. From that moment on they can be bottled. In reality, they are wines that, due to this alcohol content, tend to have very long aging.
By its nature, fortified wine has a strong and powerful presence on the nose. In many cases they are reminiscent of brandies. In the mouth they are wines that do not leave you indifferent, they are very broad wines with great volume. Its alcoholic strength, depending on the wine, is around 20º. Fortified wines provide complex and sophisticated aromas and remind us of nuts such as hazelnuts and almonds.
