We have a large varied range of Port, Sherry and Madeira at Corks Out. Our prices vary from the inexpensive tawny to the epic older vintages, you’ll be sure to find the perfect match for you.
Lustau Sherry, Niepoort Port and the Fernando Antique range are just a small number of well-known brands we stock.
What to expect from our fortified wines
There are many different fortified wines to try at Corks Out, each with their own flavours and characteristics. The wines do tend to be sweet to the taste as grape spirit or brandy is added either before or during the production, which stops the continuation of the fermentation process.
In our online port and fortified wine selection, you can find the following:
Port
Port is often thought of as the greatest fortified wine, with vintage port considered to be an esteemed iconic wine.
Traditionally produced in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal - one of the oldest vineyard areas - port is steeped in heritage and prestige. It is now also made in several other countries such as the USA and Australia, where the different climates, soil and grapes result in some interesting versions.
While port will tend to be naturally sweet, there are a wide range of styles, which include:
• Ruby Port: This port is typically aged for two to three years, giving the wine a youthful, fruity yet powerful character. We would recommend the Ruby Dum Port which has layers of dark berry fruits as well as good tannic levels, giving the fortified wines an incredible flavour and delicious texture.
• Tawny Port: When port is left in wood for a lengthy period of time, the colour transforms from ruby to tawny. The long aging process gives the wine a luxuriously smooth and soft style, with the fortified wine becoming silkier the longer it is left to age.
• Vintage Port: Produced only in the best years using the most exceptional grapes, vintage port contains a blend of different wines from the same vintage. Once the port has aged for two to three years in oak casks, it is then bottled and left for up to 20 or 30 years. Full bodied, fruity and firm in its youth, vintage port becomes softer and more complex when ready to drink. Our Taylors Vintage 1985 port is perfect as a gift for anyone born on that year.
We also stock late bottled vintage (also known as LBV Port), white and colheita port, which include the incredible Fonseca LBV vintage and Niepoort Dry White Port
Other fortified wines
Sherry: Traditionally produced in south-west Spain, Sherry can range from the pale, delicate and crisp Manzanilla variety to the intense, incredibly dry and nutty Oloroso.
If you prefer Manzanilla sherry, we would recommend the Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa, with its rich, dry palate and fruit and nut characters, while the Fernando de Castilla Antique Oloroso is perfect if you like traditional dry and dark port. We also have a selection of the tangy Fino, amber-coloured Amontillado, sweetened Cream and complex Palo Cortado and the illustrious PX pedro ximenez varieties to try.
Madeira: Well known for its sweet caramel flavour, Madeira can range from being incredibly bone-dry with notes of nut and raisin to fully sweet, dark with a refreshing level of acidity.
Marsala: This sweet Italian wine is aged in casks for two years or more, resulting in a fortified wine that is rich, smoky and dark.
You can also find a number of other fortified wines in stock at Corks Out including Vermouth and Mead. All of the port and fortified wines that do appear in our online selection are available with next day delivery, while we offer free delivery on qualifying orders.