Fortified wines

A fortified evening to remember

Very old fortified wines, especially Portuguese vintage port, are among the greatest wines in the world and some of Huon Hooke’s favourites.

Finalists for Fortified Wine of the Year Australia 2025

While the popularity of fortified wines has been on the decline in recent decades, we’re lucky to have a few courageous, singular and hard-working winemakers unafraid to swim against the tide.

2024 tastings number crunch

So here we are again, looking deep into the festive season and moments away from the new year. It seemed like a good time to take stock of the year’s tastings (though still a few more to be done) and crunch some numbers.

Outstanding fortifieds from Stanton & Killeen

Stanton & Killeen ‘vintage fortifieds’ have long been outstanding in their genre. They win gold medals and trophies left, right and centre, as well as the undying love of vintage port afficionados.

Breaking down a year of tasting

Having recently completed the busiest time of our tasting year, Stuart Knox thought it would be interesting to look back at the past 12 months of tasting and break down some of the numbers.

Three Merit wines of Australia

There are 36 wines with Three Merits in The Real Review Wine Classification of Australia.

Birth year wines to cellar

There’s a tradition among some wine lovers of buying wine for one’s children or grandchildren to cellar and open on their 21st birthdays.

Deep and powerful

Stanton & Killeen Grand Rutherglen Muscat NV, Rutherglen, AUD $105 (500ml)

Fortifieds and sweeties worth seeking out

Sweet wines are a tiny fraction of the Australian wine scene these days – both sweet table wines and sweet fortified wines. Here are some of the latest releases.

Top Wineries of Australia 2020: Ranks 8 to 5

Morris: best known for fantastic fortifieds – muscats, topaques and tawnies – arguably Rutherglen’s finest, in a particularly luscious yet vibrant style. Hardys: best known for magical Eileen Hardy Chardonnay, a moveable feast but the high-scoring 2017 was a blend of Yarra Valley and Tasmanian grapes. Swinney: best known for riesling, shiraz, and grenache. Yalumba: best known for refined, minerally Eden Valley rieslings, classic Barossa reds and Australia’s leading proponent of viognier white wines.