What is Fortified Alcohol?
Fortified alcohol comes in three main forms: wine, high-proof liquor, and malt liquor. When a regular wine is produced, the yeasts that are used in the fermentation process are normally killed by the higher alcohol content. Natural wine contains anywhere from eight to twelve percent alcohol by volume. However, when fortified wines are produced, extra brandy (distilled wine) is added to increase the potency of the wine. This process creates a high quality fortified wine. In order to cut costs and increase potency even more, most distributors of low- quality fortified wine add grain alcohol instead of brandy. The end result is a low-quality wine that contains upwards of twenty percent alcohol. Natural wine usually is sold in one to one-and-a-half liter bottles and typically sells at varying prices based on age and brand. Fortified wine, however, typically is sold in 375 ml bottles, which is roughly equivalent to a can of soda. A second major difference between fortified and natural wine
