Solera

Products which are often solera aged include Sherry, Madeira, Lillet, Marsala, Mavrodafni, Muscat, and Muscadelle wines; balsamic vinegar, Commandaria, some vins doux naturels,[2] and sherry vinegars; Brandy de Jerez; beer; rums; and whiskies.

In the solera process, a succession of containers are filled with the product over a series of equal aging intervals (usually a year).

This remnant diminishes to a tiny level, but there can be significant traces of product much older than the average, depending on the transfer fraction.

A quite similar process is called sostrera, used to produce fortified wines in the Mediterranean regions of France.

[citation needed] Solera vinification is used in the making of Mavrodafni ('Black Laurel'), a fortified red dessert wine made in the northern Peloponnese in Greece.

[citation needed] Vintners in Rutherglen, Australia, produce fortified muscat-style and Tokay-style wines using the solera process.

In South Australia, some fortified wines (akin to tawny port) are made from blends of Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.

[10][11] In Okinawa, Japan, where awamori is made, the traditional system similar to the solera is called shitsugi.

[citation needed] The solera process has been used since the 17th century to produce sour ales in Sweden, where it is known as hundraårig öl ('hundred-year beer').

[12] A process of partially emptying and refilling barrels with beer is undertaken by craft breweries in the United States.