Northern Foods was Re: SV: SC - Introducing Myself

[Decker, Terry D.]

> "MALMSEY, MALVASIA
> 
> A sweet fortified wine made in Madeira, Cyprus, the Canary Islands and
> other southern vineyards from the Malvasia grape, when available.
> 
> Adamantius
> 
Good enough, but it does bring up an interesting point, for which I can not
recall any references.  Fortified wines are normally created by adding
distilled spirits, usually brandy in the case of wines.  Brandy does not
appear until the 14th Century (IIRC).

Malvasia, according to some sources, was drunk in Antiquity and predates
distillation as we use it.  If this is the case, then it is likely that the
wine was originally unfortified and at some point the recipe was changed to
make it a fortified wine.  So, when, where and how did the practice of
fortification begin?

Bear
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