11/5/2023 0 Comments Good port wine![]() As the fruitiness and strong tannins mellow, a whole new array of interesting flavors appear: dried fruit (particularly figs), black cherry, honey, pepper, spice, almonds, even hints of tea leaves and cigar box.Ī classic food pairing with Vintage Port includes Stilton, or other richly-flavored cheeses, accompanied by dark chocolate, figs, and walnuts. Given time in the bottle, the wine becomes intriguing, gaining complexity, elegance and delicacy. While a young Vintage Port can no doubt be enjoyed, those that are aged offer wine lovers the most extraordinary experience. “Even young there is a complexity, a refinement and an intrinsic subtlety engraved into a wine of this sort,” he says, “and those qualities are perfectly capable of youthful expression.” ![]() ![]() In Decanter Magazine, Andrew Jefford says you’re missing out if you don’t try young Vintage Port. They’re a different animal than the longer aged versions for sure, dominated by ripe red and black berry fruit flavors and a strong tannic backbone. However, while many people wouldn’t dare drink a Vintage Port until it’s had at least 15 to 30 years of aging, I find younger examples (up to 5 years old) can also be a delicious treat. These special wines can be left to sit for decades and will gain complexity. Vintage Port spends no more than two years in barrels before being bottled, and is sold young-meant to be cellared by the buyer, ideally in an at-home wine cellar with a cool and consistent temperature. These elegant wines, with their stunning dark purplish red color and vibrant acidity, come from top grapes and are only produced in the very best years. On the opposite end of the Ruby Port spectrum are the prestigious Vintage Ports. Easy-drinking, inexpensive sweet wines tasty, but not something to bring to dinner with the in-laws. These wines, often bulk-produced, are made from a blend of younger wines from many vintages. There are six types of Ruby Port, with those labeled as simply Ruby Port being the most basic. Within the three categories of Port wine, Ruby, Tawny and White, there are more than one style, each with their own labeling, so it can be frustrating as a consumer to know and remember all the different kinds.īut, for starters, if you have a good understanding of the three basic types, you should be able to comfortably walk into a wine shop or restaurant and make a selection,or at the very least be able to ask the salesperson or waiter questions based on your budding knowledge. Porto is a beautiful city to explore and visitors are welcome at many of the lodges for tastings and tours, which I highly recommend. Adding the spirit also increases the alcohol content of Port wine which is usually in the 18-20% ABV range, whereas non-fortified red wines are typically 12 to 15%.Īfter fermentation, most producers transfer their Port wine to their cellars (known as lodges) in the city of Porto, a three or four hours drive away and closer to the sea, where the humidity is ideal for aging the wines. During fermentation, a clear grape spirit (usually brandy) is added, which stops the fermenting process, thereby preserving many of the grapes’ natural sugars and giving Port its signature sweetness. Unlike traditional still wine that is fermented dry, Port is fortified. But don’t worry, you won’t be tested on these names!įrom Grapes to Port: The Fortification Process White Port, on the other hand, comes from obscure white wine grapes like Códega, Gouveio, and Malvasia Fina. Port is always a blend of different native grape varieties, and there are dozens of them, most of which you probably haven’t heard of, with the most common being red: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinat Barroca, Tinto Cão, and Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo). Douro also has the distinction of being the world’s first officially demarcated wine region, created in 1756, the only place in the world that can produce authentic Port. To be called Port, the grapes must be grown in the Upper Douro region of northern Portugal, the most mountainous wine region in the world and a Unesco World Heritage Site. In very basic terms, Port can be divided into three categories: ruby, which matures mostly in the bottle and is named for its dark purplish ruby red color, tawny which ages in wooden barrels and has a tawny brownish color, and white, made in both aged and unaged versions, and like white wine, is pale or golden yellow in color. Port is one of the world’s greatest fortified sweet wines, yet getting a handle on its many styles and knowing which type to buy can be difficult.
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