Wine's Hidden Siblings Take Over the Dinner Table

It was an ice-cold January evening in Barcelona a few years ago when I experienced something that would change the entire way I think about fortified wine. I was sitting in a small tapas bar in El Born, surrounded by locals discussing politics and football. In front of me stood three small copas – glasses containing a dry manzanilla, an amontillado and an oloroso respectively. And the food? Everything from salty olives and manchego to grilled squid and chorizo. Sherry with everything. All evening. Not as an aperitif, but as the red thread running through the meal.

It is this approach that has now, finally, begun to spread to Norwegian dinner tables. Fortified wine – sherry, vermouth, port wine and their relatives – is no longer just something you sip before the food or, at best, serve with dessert. They have become the main characters.

What is it that makes these wines suddenly feel so relevant? Partly it is a matter of timing. We have grown accustomed to more complex flavours through the natural wine wave, we have learned to appreciate bitterness through aperitivo culture, and we are constantly looking for new ways to vary the table drink without always reaching for yet another bottle of red wine.

But it is also about something more practical: fortified wine is made to last. An opened bottle of fino sherry keeps perfectly in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Vermouth can sit on the kitchen shelf for a month after opening. That makes them perfect for those of us who do not drink wine every day, but who want something exciting on hand when inspiration strikes.

And then, of course, there is the taste. Fortified wine covers a spectrum from razor-sharp dryness to silky sweetness, from salty maritime notes to deep nutty and caramel nuances. There is hardly a dish that cannot be matched with one of them.

Let us start with sherry, which has perhaps had the longest road back to respectability in Norway. For many years, sherry was synonymous with sweet cream sherry in small liqueur glasses, something you drank once a year at the end of the Christmas table.

But the real world of sherry is entirely different. Fino and manzanilla – dry, light, salty – are spectacular with raw fish, shellfish and lighter starters. Try an ice-cold fino with gravlax and mustard sauce, or with a simple dish of mussels. The salty, almost oceanic character of sherry amplifies the umami in seafood in a way that few other wines can manage.

Amontillado and oloroso, the richer, darker varieties, are better companions for heartier dishes. Oloroso with lamb, amontillado with mushroom or nut dishes. The nutty notes in the wine mirror the nutty notes in the food, and the discreet sweetness balances roasted bitterness.

Vermouth has long been the bartender's best friend – a necessary component in the Martini, Negroni and Manhattan. But in Italy, people have always known that vermouth is also wonderful to drink on its own, often over ice with a slice of orange. And with food? Absolutely.

A dry, white vermouth is delightful with grilled white fish or chicken with lemon. The discreet bittersweet quality and the botanical notes – herbs, flowers, spices – lift simple dishes without overshadowing them. A red, sweeter vermouth pairs excellently with charcuterie, aged cheeses or even a simple pasta salad with tomato-based flavours.

And here the practical aspect comes in again: vermouth is affordable, often between 150 and 300 kroner a bottle, and you do not need much. A small glass (7–8 cl) is enough to accompany a dish.

Port wine has been better respected than sherry in Norway, but it too has been pigeonholed as a dessert wine. And yes, a rich tawny or vintage port with blue cheese is one of the world's great food experiences. But port can do so much more.

Ruby port, the younger, fruitier variety, is fantastic with dark chocolate dessert or with pork ribs and red cabbage. The sweet fruitiness balances both the bitterness of the chocolate and the heaviness of the fat in the food.

Tawny port, especially the older expressions (10, 20 or 30 years), has a nutty, caramelised character that pairs perfectly with nut cake, crème brûlée or caramelised apples. But also try tawny with walnuts and a robust cheddar – it is a combination that makes even the most traditional red wine lovers stop in their tracks.

If you want to experiment with fortified wine at the dinner table, here are some concrete suggestions:

For the starter or aperitif: Serve a chilled fino sherry (8–10 degrees) with salty snacks, manchego or raw vegetables with aioli. You do not need a fancy sherry – there are good, accessible options available.

For the main course: Think as you would with regular wine, but more concentrated. Dry white vermouth with light fish or chicken. Amontillado sherry with lamb or duck breast. Ruby port with pork ribs or hearty, dark meat dishes.

For dessert: The choices are endless here. Tawny port with nut cake, PX sherry (Pedro Ximénez) with ice cream, or a sweet Muscat with fruit tart.

Serving tip: Fortified wine is typically served in smaller glasses than regular wine (5–8 cl), but you can safely pour more throughout the meal since the alcohol content (15–20%) falls between wine and spirits.

It is no coincidence that more and more wine bars and restaurants in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim have significantly expanded their sherry and vermouth selections in recent years. There is a growing awareness that fortified wine represents something unique: it combines the elegance of wine with the complexity of a cocktail, and it keeps far better than regular wine after opening.

For those of us who love to cook, experiment and discover new combinations, fortified wine is a little goldmine. They are surprising, affordable, long-lasting and incredibly versatile. And they remind us that the best food experiences often come when we dare to think outside the red wine box.

Next time you are planning a dinner party this winter, give sherry, vermouth or port wine a starring role at the table. Not as a curiosity, not as an experiment, but as an equal participant in the conversation between food and drink. I promise that some of your guests will experience the same moment I did in Barcelona: that these wines – wine's hidden siblings – should never really have been hidden at all.