Here, we were inspired by Virginia’svery own Norton grape as well as the incredibly famous fortified wines produced from Portugal; thus, we have our Porton! Norton is surprisingly well-suited for this style of wine. Not only does it have thick skins (full of lots of pigments!), but it also develops high amounts of sugar along with elevated acid levels. Thus, after we fortify the wine with Brandy distilled by our friends at Catoctin Creek Distillery, the alcohol level is bumped to 17%, and with considerable sugar remaining, this rich wine has superb balance, richness, and power. This bottling provides a terrific example of taking a world-famous wine and its methods of production and applying it to what does well in one’s backyard!