fortified wine

American

noun

a wine, as port or sherry, to which brandy has been added in order to arrest fermentation or to increase the alcoholic content.

fortified wine British

noun

wine treated by the addition of brandy or alcohol, such as port, marsala, and sherry

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fortified wine

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Port is a fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley in Portugal and comes in somewhat confusing varieties, including dry, semidry, white, rose, ruby and tawny.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022

The locals also favored a white fortified wine called Angelica.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2022

The fortified wine is still drinkable, even though it is so old.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2022

Unlike Aperol, which is an apéritif, Vermouth is a fortified wine that has a subtly spiced flavor with a hint of bitter on the finish.

From Salon • May 30, 2022

These are joined by a pinot noir from Oregon and a spiced, fortified wine from Germany.

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023