Most of the readers of this blog probably already know that ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume, but there may be a few who didn’t know … till now. And, logically, the higher the ABV, the stronger the drink.

This week, City Vino explores a bit of the Iberian Peninsula with its weekly wine tasting on Friday October 14th, and Saturday October 15th. It is indeed interesting to get to know a little bit about a region from its wines, but let us share some non-wine related information with you. (There will be no quiz. I promise.)

There are actually a wide variety of fortified wines in the world, for which Port is just one kind. But it is a special one, and of the fortified wines, it is the oldest. Fortifying means that a grape spirit, or brandy, is added to the wine to help preserve it. The brandy is added during fermentation, which then kills the yeast as the yeast can only survive in an environment that is just so high in alcohol. This means that wine retains its sweetness. From here, the wine goes into a series of ageing containers. Depending on how long the ageing process is, the wine maker is making Ruby or Tawny port.

This past weekend, City Vino and Fredericksburg Théâtre Ensemble (FTE) joined forces for the 2nd Voices and Vines Signature Series. This is a fun-filled evening in the style of a musical cabaret, with a wine tasting component between songs. The first of the series was back in March, where we focused on blind tasting, because we had not attempted this kind of show before and really didn’t know how it would be received. Having such a fun experience, the next topic chosen was “miscast,” with the idea of a singer choosing a song that was completely out of character; eg. Justin Yates who sang “Fast Car,” by Tracy Chapman. So much fun!