🍷 Liqueur wine

Liqueur wine is the EU category for wines with added alcohol of vine origin. Its actual strength is 15% to 22% and its total strength at least 17.5%. It is made from fermenting grape must, from wine or from a mix of both. Port, Sherry, Madeira and Marsala are among the wines in this category. ¹²

The EU recipe. The initial natural strength of the base must be at least 12%, with exceptions for some PDO wines. Neutral alcohol of vine origin of at least 96% or wine distillate of 52–86% is added, if needed with concentrated grape must. Certain PDO wines may also use other products: wine alcohol of 95–96%, spirits from wine or marc, and must from raisined grapes. ¹

The international definition. The OIV also defines liqueur wine by an actual strength of 15–22%, and a state may allow up to 24% for its domestic market. It is made from must and/or wine with added distillates, spirits or vine-based alcohol; concentrated or caramelised must, overripe or raisined grapes, mistelles and caramel may be added. A state may allow alcohol of agricultural origin only for a limited time, if it was already permitted. ³

Cellar rules. Strength may be raised only with the products the regulation names. Sweetening with concentrated must is allowed with a declaration if total strength rises by no more than 3%; for Madeira up to 8%, and the wine may be aged in vessels at up to 50 °C. Alcohol may make up for evaporation losses during ageing. ²

Wines with a protected name. Grapes and must for a PDO liqueur wine must come from the region whose name it bears, and it must be made there. Port is made from Douro grapes, but further processing and ageing may also take place in Vila Nova de Gaia. For Málaga and Sherry, must from raisined Pedro Ximénez may come from Montilla-Moriles. ²

Vin doux naturel. This traditional term is allowed only for PDO wines from Muscat, Grenache, Maccabeo or Malvoisie, with yields up to 40 hl/ha and must with at least 252 g/l of natural sugar. Alcohol of vine origin equal to 5% to 10% of the must volume is added, with no other enrichment. ²

Vino generoso and vinho generoso. «Vino generoso» is a dry PDO liqueur wine matured wholly or partly under flor, from Palomino, Pedro Ximénez and a few other white grapes, for an average of at least two years in oak. «Vinho generoso» is reserved for Port, Madeira, Moscatel de Setúbal and Carcavelos. ²

Names in the EU register. Marsala and Banyuls have been protected in the EU since 18 September 1973, Sherry since 13 June 1986, and Port and Madeira since 24 December 1991. ⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸ Liqueur wine may contain up to 150 mg/l of sulphur dioxide if it has less than 5 g/l of sugar, and up to 200 mg/l if it has more. ²

Why it matters to you. Liqueur wine is stronger than ordinary wine, so check the category or traditional term and a strength of 15–22% on the label. ¹² National categories outside the EU, such as the former «strong wine» in Ukraine, do not follow these rules. The WHO stresses that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. ⁹