Port and Sherry - MGM Wine & Spirits (2024)

FAQs

Which is stronger, port or sherry? ›

Port wine has a richer, sweeter, and heavier texture than other wines, since it is fortified halfway through its fermentation process. Sherry is dry in texture, since it is fortified after completion of the fermentation process. Port has a higher alcohol content (19.5-22%) compared to other wines.

This tendency to sweetness means that fortified wines are often drunk either as an aperitif, like sherry, or as an after-dinner drink, like port.

Sherry: 15–20% ABV. Port and Tawny Port: 20% ABV. Madeira: 20% ABV.

The time in which the brandy is added determines how dry or sweet the final wine will be. Due to the addition of grape brandy, sherry and other fortified wines have a higher alcohol content than do nonfortified wines, generally clocking in between 15% and 20% ABV.

Sherry and port will get you drunk more quickly than most other alcoholic drinks... and they also cause the worst hangovers, doctor warns. It may seem a harmless tipple for grannies and great aunts, but a glass of sherry on.

Fortified wines, such as port and sherry, can last considerably longer than standard wine. The higher alcohol found in fortified drops means they can last for 28 days when stored in the fridge, or a cool, dark place, with a cork. Madeira and Masala are exceptions to this 28 day rule.

The best place to make opened Sherry last is the fridge. Reinsert the original cork as tightly as possible and put the bottle in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can use a wine stopper if you don't have the cork. Also, if you plan to consume your Sherry soon, pour the wine into a decanter to prevent oxidation.

Sherry contains antioxidants that help control cholesterol levels, say scientists at the University of Seville. They claim to have shown that sherry, like red wine, contains antioxidants called polyphenols, which reduce the occurrence of heart disease.

Most Port wines have an alcohol content between 19–22%, which is higher than a regular red or white wine (10–14%.) So, if you're sipping on a glass of Port wine, keep in mind that this elegant yet powerful tipple will get you drunk faster than an average glass of table wine!

As for reds, these include California Sirah and Zinfandel, Italian Amarone, and fortified Portuguese port. Port Wine can end up with percentages as high as 20%, making them the seemingly most potent wine out there. It is said that some wines can go up to 21%, depending upon the individual bottle of wine.

Is sherry an old lady drink? ›

Americans have a stereotyped idea of sherry. It features Grandma, content in her rocking chair, sipping cream sherry to pass time until dinner. We seem to have collectively decided that sherry is a sweet wine past its time, with no special distinction to merit our attention.

Cultured Spaniards have long known that there is, arguably, no better drink in the world to pair with olives and sunshine than a quality sherry. But where Granny has opted for Bristol Cream in the past, the young trend-setters are shunning the sweet and choosing increasingly popular Fino and Manzanilla sherries.

How to Drink Sherry. Sherry can either be enjoyed neat or mixed into a co*cktail. If you plan on enjoying it straight, be sure to pay attention to the different styles, as they have vastly different flavor profiles. For something on the drier side, look for fino, manzanilla, amontillado or oloroso.

Port wines today have alcohol percentages between 16% and 20%. That's between 4% and 6% more alcohol than in traditional wines. Port wine starts out like any other wine, produced by a classic wine making process!

Port wine is typically richer, sweeter, heavier, and higher in alcohol content than unfortified wines. This is caused by the addition of distilled grape spirits that fortify the wine, but also halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol, and results in a wine that is usually 19% to 20% alcohol.

“A basic way to think about flavor differences is that Port is made mostly from red grapes and sherry is made from white grapes. For me, port is all about the dark spiced fruit tones and sometimes caramel toffee notes,” says Fanelli.

Sweetness differences between these two fortified wines

While Sherry can range from extremely dry (<5g/L residual sugar) to one of the sweetest wines of the world (Pedro Ximénez), traditional port always contains residual sugar.