Not much new happens with fortified wine. While there is an incessant search for the development of new and more exciting table wines, makers of the world’s best fortified wines are generally more content to preserve the traditions and hallmarks of the wines which made them famous. Take port for instance. Although the first true ports reflected a remarkable streak of opportunistic innovation in early 18th century Portugal, things are very much as they have always been. The earliest ports were made when a little brandy was added to the naturally strong red table wines of the arid, rocky schist-derived vineyards of the upper reaches of the Douro Valley in Portugal. After the signing of the Methuen Treaty between England and Portugal in 1703, which gave Portuguese wine preferential import duty over French wine in return for the lifting of restrictions on the importing of English cloth to Portugal, the development of vineyards out of nothing but rocky slopes in the first thirty years of the 18th century was little short of remarkable. Port shortly became the drink of preference in the English market, streaking ahead of claret. Spirit was initially added either to improve the flavour or to protect the wine against the dangers of extended storage and transport in vessels which by today’s standards would hardly pass for hygienic or clean. The various styles of sherry were really developed through little more than an extended sequence of historical accidents. Flor yeast appeared in younger, fresher wines, especially those which were topped up in their casks more frequently. It was then a simple matter for the Spanish to appreciate that the resulting wines, named ‘fino’, were the best they made. Stronger, more alcoholic sherries were unable to sustain the flor growth, and because their sales were slower, they were able to accumulate in large volumes. Only then did their true cask-matured qualities become apparent. Seppelt has surprised even itself with the success of its two new fortified wines, the direct result of the sort of innovation absent for the better part of two centuries from fortified wine production. Named Viva 1 Liqueur Shiraz and Viva 2 Liqueur Chardonnay, these two wines represent a radical departure from the accepted habits of drinking fortified wines in Australia. Viva 1 is a ruby port. Remember ruby port? Remember when you last drank one? No matter. Two years ago Seppelt chief fortified maker, James Godfrey, found himself demonstrating the ageing process with Seppelt Para Liqueur Port, showing people wines whose ages descended backwards in ten-year steps. Despite the unctuous qualities of the older wines, his guests were most surprised and delighted by the drinkability of the current vintage wine. Godfrey says that sort of response led Seppelt to develop a typically early-drinking ruby port made in similar vein to a young Para Liqueur base. ‘Viva 1 is an up-front fruit-driven current vintage fortified made marginally more elegant and not as fat as a young Para. Given a low strength fortifying spirit to give more lift, freshness and complexity, it integrates quickly. The spirit isn’t there to dominate’, he says. The first release of Viva 1 was made entirely from Barossa fruit, but its appeal has led Seppelt to integrate some very low-yielding (by Riverland standards) fruit from Markaranka in South Australia’s Riverlands into the 1996 edition. While its colourful modern packaging might cause hesitation amongst long-term drinkers of fortified wines, James Godfrey is committed to Viva 1 as a serious wine product. ‘We had the avenue to present ruby port in a new way when we repackaged the premium DP range of fortified wines. The success at the recent Brisbane Show (where Viva 1 picked up a gold medal in the sweet red dessert and ruby style class) proves it’s serious.’ Viva 2 is even more interesting and innovative. A variation on the Pineau des Charentes theme, it is a partially-fermented fortified wine made from very ripe chardonnay grapes from Qualco in the Riverlands. Pineau des Charentes, the Cognac-derived French aperitif, is made by adding cognac of one year old to unfermented grape must, creating a fortified grape juice. Its final alcohol strength is similar to that of a port or sweet sherry, about 17-18% by volume. Viva 2 is clearly different and James Godfrey preserves its freshness and intensity by not ageing it in oak. The drink is loaded with peach and melon fruit, presents a ripe, fleshy texture enhanced by the warmth of the spirit. Serve it at room temperature or chilled. Made to be enjoyed directly, the response at the Seppeltsfield cellar door is that both Viva 1 and Viva 2 are especially popular once people taste them. ‘Half the battle is getting people to understand what they are and how to use them. I’d be happy to serve both wines chilled. Good Viva 1 sales in summer suggest that’s exactly what people are doing with it. You can drink them at the beginning of a meal – with ice or with soda – and we’ve had dinners when people have thrown both Vivas into champagnes. Viva 2 makes an alternative to dessert wine, especially with fruit-based desserts. They’re that versatile’, Godfrey explains. I’ve found Viva 2 a perfect foil for a number of Asian-style dessert courses, based around sweet fruit flavours and tempered with spice, rather than built around the sweetness of sugar. ‘Some people have seen the package and thought we were trying to create a wine substitute for products like Subzero. That’s not the case and around $15 retail they’re price pointed to say they’re not. They are however a great introduction for people who have never tried fortifieds before.’
