Top quality Sherries tend to be:

• Dry or lusciously sweet (as in Pedro Ximénez)
• Characterized by biological or oxidative ageing or both
• Aged in a solera system which achieves fractional blending
• Some of the best value wines in the world relative to their age and quality

Top quality Madeiras tend to be:

• Categorized according to the grape variety which usually corresponds to a sweetness level: Dry, Medium-dry, Medium Sweet, Sweet
• Derive their richness and complexity from exposure to oxygen and heat
• Malmsey Madeiras are possibly the longest lived wines on the planet

Top quality White Ports tend to be:

• Aged in cask for a considerable time compared with commercial white port styles that are aged in tank for around 18 months
• Made with much less maceration than red Port, or none at all
• Dry, nutty and tangy

Top quality Rutherglen Liqueur Muscat tends to be:

• Lusciously sweet
• Made from a very dark-skinned strain of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, known in Australia as Brown Muscat
• Made from grapes that are semi-raisined on the vine
• Often made by subjecting the wine to very high temperatures as in Madeira
• Are often sweet enough to serve with any dessert