While many consider fortified wines a year-round indulgence, there's something special about sipping them during the festive season, especially when they find their way into the trifle. Fortified wines are crafted by adding spirits at various stages of the winemaking process. Several factors influence their style, including the grape's origin, variety, fermentation process, timing of fortification, the choice of spirit and the maturation process.

Glengarry boasts one of the most exceptional collections of fortified wines in New Zealand, making one wonder if it might just be the finest in the southern hemisphere. So, if you're seeking a delightful companion for this festive season, visit us online or instore. For those looking to use fortified wine in cooking, we highly recommend selecting a premium variety. Quality wine enhances the flavours of your dishes and offers a deserved sip to the industrious chef.

The world of fortified wines is incredibly diverse; here's a brief overview to kickstart your journey into these exquisite elixirs.

Sherry: Hailing from the southern Spanish region of Jerez, sherry features the Palomino grape variety. There are two main styles: those aged under the protective influence of a layer of flor, and those without this protection aging in direct contact with the air. Sherry spans the spectrum from dry to very sweet, with alcohol levels typically between 15-17.5%. For those adding sherry to trifle, we recommend Harvey's Bristol Cream. The sweetest of all sherries, a Pedro Ximinez is like drinking liquid raisins; try the Valdespino by itself or over ice-cream.

Port: These fortified wines originate from the Douro Valley in Portugal and feature a host of indigenous grape varieties, with Touriga Nacional being the most prestigious. Rapid and warm fermentation extracts colour and tannins, and early fortification results in ports with around 100 g/L of residual sugar and an alcohol content of about 19% abv.

Madeira: Madeira wines hail from the eponymous Portuguese island and come in four main varieties: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, and Malvasia, ranging from dry to sweet in that order. The alcohol content sits at around 19%, similar to port, but the wines are generally less sweet. Maritime conditions and high altitudes provide them with distinctive acidity, complemented by warm maturation that imparts a unique character to the Madeira wines.