What is fortified wine?
Fortified wine is a wine to which distilled spirit (usually brandy) has been added during or after fermentation, raising its alcohol content to between 17 and 22 percent.
A fortified wine starts as ordinary table wine, then has distilled spirit (typically brandy) added during or shortly after fermentation. This addition lifts the alcohol content from the usual 12 to 15 percent up to 17 to 22 percent, depending on when the spirit is introduced and how much is used. The timing matters: add spirit early and you halt fermentation, leaving residual sugar behind; add it later and you get a drier result.
Swan Valley winemakers became known for two styles in particular. Muscat fortified wines are luscious and sweet, with grape-forward character that suits the region's warm climate. Tawny-style fortified wines develop their tawny colour and soft, complex flavour through time in oak. Both benefit from the Valley's reputation for producing high-quality fruit suited to extended aging and concentration.
Fortified wines keep longer than table wines once opened, thanks to their higher alcohol content acting as a preservative. This durability, combined with their concentration of flavour, made them historically valuable for cellaring and trade. Today they remain a marker of winemaking tradition in Swan Valley, with cellar-door venues across the region offering the chance to taste these styles alongside current releases.