Probably one of the most exciting parts of being the wine buyer for Spain and Portugal is being the person in charge of the Port, Sherry, and Madeira selections! While you can certainly enjoy these wines year-round, there’s just something about the approach of autumn that makes me want to reach for a glass of Madeira or a chilled Sherry. With cooler nights approaching, this is the perfect time to stock up on fortified wines, especially the richer styles. They’re lovely wines to have on hand for dinner parties, as an accompaniment to a cheese platter or for after-dinner sipping, or just as a treat on a quiet night in.

Ranging from bone-dry to lusciously sweet, Sherry is perhaps Spain’s best-kept secret. Want a crisp, briny Manzanilla with olives? A nutty Amontillado with Manchego? A lusciously sweet Moscatel with dark chocolate? There is a Sherry for nearly every occasion and food. As one of the world’s most versatile wines, they range from bone dry and oxidative to incredibly rich and sweet. There are also shockingly affordable, even for the best-in-class wines.

Madeira, on the other hand, is a quintessentially American wine, despite being Portugese in origin. The wine’s unique style–defined by heating and oxidizing the wine–was developed somewhat accidentally by the colonial cross-Atlantic trade. As merchant ships crossed the ocean, bound for the colonies, barrels of fortified wine would essentially bake on the hot decks. The nutty, caramelized flavors of the wine quickly caught on with colonists. Some wine traders took note and even began charging more for barrels that completed a “Torna Viagem”–a roundtrip on the ship. Today, winemakers replicate the heating process at the winery, and as a result, Madeira is the only wine in the world that is virtually indestructible. A bottle opened today will taste the same, or perhaps even better, years or decades down the road, because it has already been oxidized and exposed to heat. A longstanding favorite of mine, and many of our customers, are the Historic Series Madeiras by the Rare Wine Company, made on their behalf by legendary producer Barbeito. Named after colonial cities with ports that would have received many barrels of Madeira, the series features the full range of noble grapes: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malmsey, which are ordered from driest to most sweet.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Port. Crafted in the Douro Valley, they include White, Tawny and Ruby styles, delivering both power and elegance. In recent years, White Port has become more and more popular. Fresh, crisp, and surprisingly versatile, White Port is a great choice chilled as an aperitif or mixed with tonic and served with a twist. In contrast, Tawny Port is made from red varieties but ages for years or even decades in wooden casks, slowly oxidizing and developing rich flavors of caramel, hazelnuts and dried figs as they slowly turn amber. They’re lovely when served slightly chilled, especially with cheese, toasted nuts, or simple desserts. The longer they age, the more complex they become, so a 20 or 30-year-old style is the perfect treat for the holiday season. Ruby, on the other hand, ages almost exclusively in bottle, which preserves the inky purple color of the wine. Full-bodied, fruit-forward and bold, Ruby Ports range from simple Reserve styles to more nuanced Late Bottled Vintage styles and the epically ageworthy Vintage Ports. Bursting with black cherry, plum, and chocolate notes, they get spicier and more ethereal with age, balancing incredible density with a cornucopia of flavors and aromas.

Here are some favorite fortified wines currently in stock, but also keep an eye on this category, which is sure to expand as the holidays approach!

Barbeito "Island Rich" 5 Year Old Madeira $19.99

Rare Wine Company "Historic Series - Charleston" Sercial Madeira $55.99 94JG

Rare Wine Company "Historic Series - Savannah" Verdelho Madeira $55.99 95JS

Rare Wine Company "Historic Series - New York" Malmsey Madeira $55.99 96JS

El Maestro Sierra Fino Jerez de la Frontera (375ml) $24.99 93W&S

El Maestro Sierra Oloroso Jerez de la Frontera (375ml) $24.99

Valdespino "El Candado" Pedro Ximenez Jerez $27.99 96W&S

Cesar Florido Moscatel Especial Chipiona Jerez (375ml) $21.99

Quinta do Infantado White Port $17.99

Ramos Pinto "Collector Reserva" Ruby Port $23.99

Graham's 20 Year Old Tawny Port $69.99. 96DC 94JS