Study and careerFortified & sweet

Fortified wines for the Level 1 sommelier exam: Sherry, Port and Madeira

A one-page study sheet for the Introductory exam, following the Court's syllabus: where each wine comes from, how it is made, the styles, and an eight-question quiz.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

7 min read

The short answer: for Level 1, know where Sherry, Port and Madeira come from, their soils and grapes, the one step that makes each of them (flor and the solera, stopping fermentation with spirit, heating), and the main styles from dry to sweet. This sheet follows the Court of Master Sommeliers' Introductory syllabus for fortified wines, heading by heading.

A fortified wine has grape spirit added. Added during fermentation, it stops the yeast and keeps natural sugar (Port, sweet Madeira). Added after fermentation, the wine is dry, and the strength decides how it ages (Sherry).

Sherry: location, soils and grapes

Where: the province of Cádiz in Andalucía, south-west Spain. The Sherry Triangle is Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Climate: hot and sunny, cooled by the Atlantic. Two winds matter: the damp, cool Poniente from the west and the hot, dry Levante from the south-east.
Soil: albariza, a white, chalky soil that soaks up winter rain and feeds the vines through the dry summer. There are also clays (barros) and sands (arenas).
Grapes: Palomino for the dry styles, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel for the naturally sweet ones.

Sherry: how it is made

Fermented fully dry, then the young wines are tasted and classified.
The finest go to 15%: strong enough to keep other microbes out, still gentle enough for flor, a layer of yeast that grows on the wine and protects it from air. This is biological ageing.
The fuller ones go to at least 17%: flor can't live, so the wine ages in contact with air. This is oxidative ageing.
The solera: rows of American oak butts. Wine for bottling is drawn from the bottom row (the solera) and topped up from the row above (the criaderas), so every bottle is a blend of ages. Sherry ages at least two years.

Sherry: the types

Type	How it is made	Taste
Fino	Palomino under flor	Bone dry, light, almond and bread dough
Manzanilla	A Fino aged only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda	Bone dry, delicate, salty
Amontillado	Starts under flor, then ages oxidatively	Dry, amber, hazelnut
Palo Cortado	Starts as a Fino, then fortified to 17% and aged oxidatively	Dry; Amontillado's finesse, Oloroso's body
Oloroso	Fortified to 17%, never under flor	Dry, dark, walnut, rich
Pale Cream, Medium, Cream	Dry Sherry sweetened (Cream: usually Oloroso with PX)	Off-dry to sweet
Pedro Ximénez	Sun-dried PX grapes, fortified, oxidative	Very sweet: raisin, fig, coffee
Moscatel	Moscatel grapes, fortified	Sweet, floral, grapey

Fino: How it is madePalomino under flor; TasteBone dry, light, almond and bread dough

Manzanilla: How it is madeA Fino aged only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda; TasteBone dry, delicate, salty

Amontillado: How it is madeStarts under flor, then ages oxidatively; TasteDry, amber, hazelnut

Palo Cortado: How it is madeStarts as a Fino, then fortified to 17% and aged oxidatively; TasteDry; Amontillado's finesse, Oloroso's body

Oloroso: How it is madeFortified to 17%, never under flor; TasteDry, dark, walnut, rich

Pale Cream, Medium, Cream: How it is madeDry Sherry sweetened (Cream: usually Oloroso with PX); TasteOff-dry to sweet

Pedro Ximénez: How it is madeSun-dried PX grapes, fortified, oxidative; TasteVery sweet: raisin, fig, coffee

Moscatel: How it is madeMoscatel grapes, fortified; TasteSweet, floral, grapey

Non-fortified Sherry: the Consejo Regulador has reformed its rules so that a wine reaching the minimum strength naturally (15% for Fino and Manzanilla) no longer has to be fortified. Most Sherry is still fortified, but expect the question.

Port: region, soils and grapes

Region: the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions, with three sub-regions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.
Production centres: the wine is made in the Douro. It is aged either there or in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto.
Soil: schist, with some granite at the edges, on steep terraces.
Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão and Tinta Amarela. White Port uses grapes such as Malvasia Fina, Viosinho and Gouveio.

Port: how it is made

Grapes are crushed, traditionally trodden by foot in stone lagares, or in modern wineries by machine. Partway through fermentation the wine is drawn off and grape spirit is added, usually about one part spirit to four parts wine. The yeast stops, natural sugar stays, and Port ends up usually 19–22% alcohol.

Style	Ageing	What to remember
Ruby	Short, in large vessels	Young, deep red, fruity
Reserve	A selected ruby	Richer, more concentrated
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)	One year, four to six years in wood	Ready to drink on release
Vintage	One declared year, bottled after two to three years	Ages for decades in bottle; throws a deposit; decant
Crusted	A blend, at least three years in bottle before sale	Throws a crust; decant
Tawny	In wood, exposed to air	Amber, nutty, caramel
10, 20, 30, 40 Years Old	Aged tawny blends	The age is the style the blend tastes of
Colheita	A single-year tawny, at least seven years in cask	Vintage date on the label
White and rosé	Mostly young; white also aged	White from dry to very sweet (Lágrima)

Ruby: AgeingShort, in large vessels; What to rememberYoung, deep red, fruity

Reserve: AgeingA selected ruby; What to rememberRicher, more concentrated

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV): AgeingOne year, four to six years in wood; What to rememberReady to drink on release

Vintage: AgeingOne declared year, bottled after two to three years; What to rememberAges for decades in bottle; throws a deposit; decant

Crusted: AgeingA blend, at least three years in bottle before sale; What to rememberThrows a crust; decant

Tawny: AgeingIn wood, exposed to air; What to rememberAmber, nutty, caramel

10, 20, 30, 40 Years Old: AgeingAged tawny blends; What to rememberThe age is the style the blend tastes of

Colheita: AgeingA single-year tawny, at least seven years in cask; What to rememberVintage date on the label

White and rosé: AgeingMostly young; white also aged; What to rememberWhite from dry to very sweet (Lágrima)

Madeira: island, soils and grapes

Topography and climate: a steep, volcanic island in the Atlantic, west of Morocco. Vines grow on small terraces; the climate is mild and subtropical.
Soils: volcanic and acidic, which helps the wines keep their high acidity.
Grapes: four noble white grapes, each tied to a sweetness, plus Tinta Negra, the most planted, which can make every style.

Grape	Style
Sercial	Dry
Verdelho	Medium dry
Boal (Bual)	Medium sweet
Malvasia (Malmsey)	Sweet

Sercial: StyleDry

Verdelho: StyleMedium dry

Boal (Bual): StyleMedium sweet

Malvasia (Malmsey): StyleSweet

Madeira: how it is made, and the styles

Fortification: grape spirit stops fermentation early for the sweet styles and late for the dry ones.
Estufagem: the wine is warmed in tanks for some months, then aged in wood. Used for younger wines.
Canteiro: casks rest for years under the warm roofs of the lodges. Used for the finest wines.
Why it lasts: heat and air during ageing make Madeira famously stable. An opened bottle keeps far longer than any table wine.
Styles on the label: grape name (sweetness); age (5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40+ years); Colheita, a single harvest aged at least five years; Frasqueira, a single harvest aged at least 20 years in cask; Rainwater, a light, young style.

Two more families on the Level 1 syllabus

Vin doux naturel (VDN), southern France: spirit is added during fermentation (mutage). Grenache in Banyuls, Maury and Rivesaltes; Muscat in Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Muscat de Rivesaltes.
Vin de liqueur (VDL): spirit is added to grape juice before it ferments. Pineau des Charentes (with Cognac), Floc de Gascogne (with Armagnac), Macvin du Jura.
Moscatel de Setúbal, Portugal: the Setúbal Peninsula's fortified Muscat. See my Portugal sheet for Level 1.

How to study fortified wines

Learn the one step behind each wine: flor and the solera (Sherry), stopping fermentation (Port), heat (Madeira).
Put the styles on a line from driest to sweetest: Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Cream, PX; Sercial to Malmsey.
Taste three side by side: a Fino, a tawny Port and a Malmsey. You will remember the difference for ever.
Then test yourself with the quiz below and my Level 1 practice test.

Quick quiz: fortified wines for Level 1

Question 1

What is the main grape of dry Sherry?

a)Pedro Ximénez
b)Palomino
c)Moscatel
d)Airén

Show answer

b) Palomino. Palomino makes Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso.

Question 2

What protects a Fino from oxidation while it ages?

a)Sulphur
b)A layer of yeast called flor
c)Stainless steel tanks
d)Added sugar

Show answer

b) A layer of yeast called flor. Flor grows on the wine's surface in the cask and keeps air away.

Question 3

Where must Manzanilla be aged?

a)Jerez de la Frontera
b)El Puerto de Santa María
c)Sanlúcar de Barrameda
d)Montilla

Show answer

c) Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Manzanilla is a Fino-style Sherry aged only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Question 4

Why does an Oloroso age without flor?

a)It is fortified to at least 17%, too strong for flor
b)It is made from Pedro Ximénez
c)It is aged in stainless steel
d)It is never fortified

Show answer

a) It is fortified to at least 17%, too strong for flor. At 17% the flor yeast can't survive, so the wine ages in contact with air.

Question 5

How is fermentation stopped in Port?

a)By chilling the wine
b)By adding grape spirit
c)By adding sulphur
d)By filtering out the yeast

Show answer

b) By adding grape spirit. Grape spirit, about one part to four, stops the yeast and keeps natural sugar.

Question 6

What is the main soil of the Douro?

a)Albariza
b)Schist
c)Chalk
d)Volcanic basalt

Show answer

b) Schist. Schist, broken up into terraces; albariza is Sherry's soil.

Question 7

What is a Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port?

a)A single year's ruby bottled after four to six years in wood
b)A blend of many years aged 20 years
c)A white Port
d)A Vintage Port bottled after ten years

Show answer

a) A single year's ruby bottled after four to six years in wood. LBV is a single-year ruby, ready to drink when sold.

Question 8

Which Madeira grape gives the sweetest style?

a)Sercial
b)Verdelho
c)Boal
d)Malvasia (Malmsey)

Show answer

d) Malvasia (Malmsey). From dry to sweet: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malmsey.

For the next level up, read fortified wines at every sommelier level. For a Port to taste with your notes, see choosing a Taylor's Port. For quick daily questions, SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions, free to start.

Quiz yourself with SOMM DIGI AI Level 1 practice test

Questions people ask

Which fortified wines are on the Level 1 sommelier exam?

In the Court of Master Sommeliers' syllabus: Sherry, Port and Madeira in the fortified section, plus the VDN and VDL of southern France and Moscatel de Setúbal in the French and Portuguese sections.

Is all Sherry sweet?

No. Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso are dry. Only the blended styles (Pale Cream, Medium, Cream) and the naturally sweet PX and Moscatel are sweet.

What is the difference between ruby and tawny Port?

Ruby ages briefly and keeps its fruit and colour. Tawny ages in wood with air, turning amber and nutty.

What is the difference between a VDN and a VDL?

A VDN is fortified during fermentation, so it has fermented a little first. A VDL is grape juice mixed with spirit before fermentation.

For sommeliers · next steps

Keep studying

The free Level 1 course Study with SOMM DIGI AI My prep books

←Study and career