Explore the world of fortified wine, from sherry to Rutherglen Muscat, through Matthew's World of Wine and Drink. The episodes are particularly focused on students preparing for Unit 6 of the WSET Diploma, but they're also for anyone enthusiastic about the wonderful world of fortified wine.

Fortified Wine

Wine Podcasts

Wine Ed

Explore the world of fortified wine, from sherry to Rutherglen Muscat, through Matthew's World of Wine and Drink. The episodes are particularly focused on students preparing for Unit 6 of the WSET Diploma, but anyone enthusiastic about wonderful world of fortified wine. The first episode gives an overview into fortification and the history of fortified wine.

Matthew's World of Wine and Drink

Fortified Wine Overview

Continuing the series on fortified wine, this episode gives an overview of sherry: its history, the way in which the industry has developed over the centuries, and recent trends that have seen producers try to revive the popularity of sherry.

Sherry Overview

The different styles of sherry owe a lot to how they are made in the winery, but a lot happens in the vineyard too.

Sherry: Viticulture, Trade, and the Solera System

Although the vineyard plays an important role in sherry, the varied styles are a result of what happens in the winery. Learn how production methods - from fortification to ageing - affect the styles of fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, and palo cortado.

Sherry Production

The final episode focusing on sherry - in this instance, the many different styles of sweet sherry and the methods of making them.

Fortified Wines

Sweet Sherry

Extracting colour and tannin are all-important for the production of port; how and where the wine is aged afterwards determines the style. Those styles have changed a lot in the last fifty years - learn more in this episode.

Port Production and Styles

With over 80 grape varieties allowed for port production, the wine is always a blend, combining the colour, acidity, alcohol, body, flavour profile, and, of course, quality of the many varieties. This episode focuses on the six most important, as well as the highest-quality variety for white port.

Port Grape Varieties

Madeira is one of the greatest and most historic styles of wine, but now there are just 4m bottles made a year. The history of the wine accounts for its distinctive style, as explored in this first episode on madeira.

Madeira - Introduction

The sub-tropical island of Madeira is warm and wet, unique conditions that growers and producers have to factor when planting the classic grape varieties Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, and Malmsey, as well as the commonly planted Negramoll.

Madeira - Climate, Viticulture, Grape Varieties

Australia produces some of the world's most distinctive fortified wines, of all sorts of colours and ages. This episode focuses on Rutherglen Muscat, while also looking at the fascinating Tawny and Topaque wines.

Rutherglen Muscat

An Englishman in California soaking up the sun, I am a WSET Diploma graduate and Certified WSET Educator. I blog about wine, teach it at all levels, and drink plenty of it. Follow me on twitter @mattswineworld or check out my website: matthewsworldofwineanddrink.com