A Brief Guide on Australian Fortified Wines

Fortified wines, without which the history of the wine industry seems incomplete, are even today produced & consumed worldwide. Thinking of these, the first thing that comes to our mind is Port or Sherry. But little do we know the significance of Australian fortified wines. With unique regional characteristics, cultural influences and micro-climates, the island country is known for the production of exemplary, world-class fortified wines. In this blog post, we’ll be rediscovering some of these long lost beauties scroll down to know more!

A Journey Into the Past
During the 1870s, our country was first recognized at the Vienna Exhibition (1873) in Europe for fortified wines. Over the years, Australia has created an unparalleled name in the industry, home to wineries like Seppeltsfield (Only brand in the world to release a 100-year-old vintage) and Morris Wines. Until the 1960s, fortified wines dominated the industry, prior to which the scenario was taken off by table wines. Nonetheless, they still remained in the scene, making for an important part of the industry even today.

Here’s a list of some famous Australian fortified wines from then to now:

Apera—The Australian Sherry
Earlier produced and exported under the label of Australian Sherry, it is now known as Apera (Sherry being a reserved term for fortified wines made using grapes sourced from Jerez, Spain). Apera, a Sherry-style fortified, is usually NV wine produced using the famous ‘solera system’ for blending & maturation. For this process, barrels from Jerez and 20–40-year-old Australian Apera casks are used.

Topaque—Rutherglen Tokay
What once was popular worldwide as Rutherglen Tokay, is now renamed as Topaque. It is produced using Muscadelle grape variety. The varietal reveals an opaque appearance, hence the name Topaque. Like Apera, it’s also matured for an extended period in oak prior to bottling. One can either enjoy it upon release it or cellar it (However, this wine does not improve with cellaring).

Tawny
Often associated with Tawny Port, when produced in other parts of the globe it is referred to as simply Tawny (Port being a reserved term for wines produced in Portugal’s Douro Valley). Intended to be consumed upon release, this drink is crafted using Sherry’s solera system of fractional blending and Madeira’s canteiro heating method.

Rutherglen Muscat
With a worldwide reputation for exceptional fortified wines, the Rutherglen wine region is especially known for the production of Muscat. The region follows a four-tier classification system Rutherglen Muscat, Classic Rutherglen Muscat, Grand Rutherglen Muscat and Rare Rutherglen Muscat on the basis of approachability, maturation period and so on. If you're a fan of sweet, perfumed Moscato wine, Muscat-based fortifieds are a more intense, aged evolution of the same grape

Fortified wines age beautifully and with our current wine deals, it’s a great time to explore something new.