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A fortified wine is a wine to which additional alcohol has been added, the most common additive being brandy (a spirit distilled from wine).
The original reason for fortification was to preserve wines, as the higher alcohol level and additional sweetness help to preserve the wine (when supplemental alcohol is added before fermentation finishes, it kills the yeast and leaves residual sugar). Even though other preservation methods exist, the fortification process survives, as consumers have developed tastes for wines preserved this way.
Common fortified wines include:
Fortified wines must be distinguished from spirits made from wine. While both have increased alcohol content, spirits are the result of a process of distillation; while fortified wines have spirits added to them. Fortified wines generally have an alcohol content between that of wines and spirits.
Fortified wines are legally called dessert wines in the U.S. but are called liqueur wines in Europe.
American "Dessert" Wines
Fortified wines of minimal price and quality have a reputation as the intoxicant of choice among the underage and poor; they are often known as "bum wines", due to their association with the homeless. They are typically fortified with grain alcohol rather than brandy. Most such wines have harsh flavors and are not favored by more typical wine drinkers.
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"Fortified wine"