Port has been produced for over three centuries and is enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. It’s a unique, classic wine, most often served after dinner in small glasses, and can be paired with a robust cheese.
Port has a long history, deriving its name from the city of Porto, Portugal, where for hundreds of years, producers along the Douro River Valley would deliver their wine to merchant houses for shipment to other countries. England was a primary market, and in the early days, merchants would often add brandy to preserve it for long sea voyages, which led over time to the production of Port as a “fortified,” higher alcohol, sweet wine.
Port wine is usually a blend of red grapes, the most prominent being Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz (called Tempranillo in Spain). There are variations of Port wine, but today the three primary Ports commonly available in stores are Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage, all of which are sweet and have an alcohol content of 19-20%. They vary in how they are produced and aged, how they taste, their color, and, of course, their price.
- Ruby Port has a deep red color, fruity flavors, and is usually aged in barrels for three years before bottling and release. (avg. cost $15 to $25)
- Tawny Port, which gets its name from its tawny or amber color, is aged much longer in wooden barrels, giving it a smooth, nutty, and caramel-like flavor. After as much as a decade(s), it’s bottled and released. (avg. cost $20 to $60)
- Vintage Port is made from grapes of an exceptional growing year, as designated and agreed upon by the growers, often from specific vineyards, and is not blended. After a short fermentation, the wine is aged in oak barrels for about two years and then bottled and aged another two or three years before release for sale. Vintage Port can easily age in the bottle for decades, developing intense, rich flavors of dark fruit, chocolate, and spice. (avg. cost $100 to $200)
If you are looking for a bottle of Port, some of the top producers are Graham’s, Taylor, Fonseca, Dow’s, and Warre’s.
Cheers!
-Submitted by Jim Wolitarsky
(Image credit: Pixabay.com and Vinepair.com)