(Inforum) - Last week I addressed the wonders of Champagne in celebrating the upcoming holiday season.

If that sparkling elixir is what you want to continue using to celebrate this season, so be it. But let it be known that there are other sources of wine, both bubbly and still, that can bring pleasure to meals and other occasions at this time of year.

Going into the colder months of the year, many wine drinkers turn to “fortified” wines of one form or another.

The Arabs were the first to discover distillation in the 11th century, but it would then be another 600 years before distillates were added to wine.

Today, there are many types of fortified wine, with the most famous being port, sherry, Madeira and Marsala.

Neutral grape spirits – odorless and tasteless distilled wines – are added to either fermenting wine (port) or to recently fermented wine (sherry). In both instances the yeast cells are suspended due to the higher alcohol, and any residual sugar remains in the wine.

This combination of sugar and higher alcohol make these fortified wines very “preservable” – allowing them to be aged for centuries if desired. There are many vintage ports and Madeira from the 1800s being consumed today.

Brandy, another fortified wine, is also made from distillation, which is made by boiling the liquid, trapping the alcohol-rich vapors that steam and rise up, and then cooling it back to liquid.

The most famous brandies in the world are Cognac and Armagnac, which are from southern France. All countries that produce wine also make brandy in some capacity.

There are many high-quality brandies and other fortified wines to be found, many of which are aged in oak barrels. The aging depends on the flavor and taste profile the vintner wants to create. Typically, they are best enjoyed being sipped after a meal to aid in digestion.

What about other sparkling wines besides the legitimate Champagne?

Wineries all over the world employ two distinct methods of creating their sparkling wine: the “traditional method” and the “Charmat Method.”

In the traditional method, the wines generally used are both Chardonnay and pinot noir. Chardonnay provides the finesse and flavor, while the pinot noir delivers the backbone and structure.