Which port should I choose? A difficult question indeed, but my research has unearthed a few guidelines.
Port is usually richer and sweeter, and has a higher alcohol content than the wines that they were derived from. This is caused by the addition of brandy (or a distilled grape spirit) to halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol.
There are four types of port readily available in most good suppliers. They are ruby, tawny, vintage and white ports and they all have unique features, tastes and colors.
Ruby port is fermented in wood and aged minimally in bottles and used mostly in cooking or blended with other drinks. Ruby port is red in color and is usually made up of many vintages. Ruby port has a short shelf life after opening (less then a month). The flavor is not retained when exposed to oxygen.
Tawny port is aged in wooden barrels traditionally over ten years, so that they become a golden-brown color. When the aging time is reduced, the colors are achieved by blending and other means, such as additives. They are blended with other vintages and are ready to drink immediately and last a number of months after opening. In many places tawny ports are the the most available.
Vintage port is fermented in wood and aged in barrels for up to two years before bottling, and are true to the vintage year. They can age for up to another fifteen years in the bottle. The relatively short time in a barrel allows vintage ports to retain the red color and the fresh flavor. Fine vintage ports are the most expensive and regarded as the optimum taste. Many people will further age them in the bottle prior to drinking.
White port is made from white grapes, and served either as a chilled aperitif or a dessert wine. Sometimes served with white chocolate as an evening snack.
There are many other types of port, such as late bottle vintage, colheita, reserve, vintage character, etc.
Ports are commonly served after meals as a dessert wine or with cheese or chocolate. They are a great winter warmer and are often consumed in the outdoors, during camping, hiking and trekking trips.
The liquid temperature of a port when drinking should be approx. 18C, so in some warmer places port is slightly chilled and in cooler places it is best warmed slightly using a port sipper. The port sipper is held in the palm of ones hand allowing the temperature of the liquid to be slightly elevated.
Enjoy the fruit of the wine in moderation.
We are researching this amazing product following some discussions with friends recently and found that Port had an interesting story to share. The debate about how to produce a good port from an inexpensive port using a port barrel at home is interesting as is the use of port sippers by some keen port lovers who like to taste port as it was intended by the maker. For more information go to http://enjoyingport.googlepages.com
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