Once opened, Madeira should be consumed within a week or so and stored in the refrigerator. This popular Sicilian fortified wine is Italy's answer to sherry and Madeira. It's mostly used as a cooking wine and is a key ingredient in many Italian dishes, including zabaglione, tiramisu, and veal scaloppini. Marsalas are graded according to their sweetness and age. This is a sweet Portuguese fortified wine that's sipped as an after-dinner drink, or used as a cooking ingredient.
Vintage ports are the best, but they are very expensive.
The sediment at the bottom of the bottle is a sign of quality. Crusted or late-bottled vintage ports are both less expensive and less elegant. Cheaper yet are the lighter and fruitier wood ports , which include the tawny ports and the lowly ruby ports . Wood ports don't age well in the bottle, so try to drink them within a year or two of purchase. Once opened, port should be consumed within a week or so and stored in the refrigerator.