Always been a beer guy. And being 'Murican, thought of Fortified wines in terms of jokes about Thunderbird and Irish Rose, or great Aunt Edna’s sherry for “cooking”.
But a chance encounter with a recipe for a stew lead me into this unknown world.
I first learned that it could be used to my advantage when bring a fifth home, just to put in my crockpot and hidden away for later, but then one day I had a friend over. And, having nothing else poured one for us both. And it was good.
And since then I have been trying more, in the shadows, dry ports, going more extravagant, ruby, then tawny, then 10 year. The sweetness is become character, not offense How shall I pursue this love?
…
Okay so this holiday weekend has, made me rediscover that I apparently have two hideaway beds I forgot about. And that a dry(seco) white(Blanco), port(Porto) is damn smooth, not to mention the 10 year tawny, I bought to impress people, and impressed myself tonight
So Port Believers, what do you have to bring me into the brotherhood, because I think i like what you are selling.
Don’t feel you have to stick to actual from-Portugal port. South African “Cape port” comes in all the same styles. I can recommend the Allesveloren and Bo-Plaas ones.
Love a good port or sherry. We lived in Portugal for two years and got to taste some top notch ports. When we left there, my shipment included a case of 20-year old tawny. My go-to now is Taylor-Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny. The price point is about $40.
Once again I bow to Chefguy’s exquisite taste. Taylor Fladgate 10 or 20 year old is the standard in our house for port. We’re also quite fond of Black Sage Vinyard Pipe which is Canadian and very smooth. we also gave my BIL a century of port from TF for his 40th birthday; it comes with a presentation box of a 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old. The 40 was exquisite. Sandiman’s also makes a pretty good port as well.
Try your port with dark chocolate or a strong cheese. It pairs really well.
I’ll add Niepoort to the list of Port producers to try. His ‘colheita’ tawnies are exquisite, as are his blended tawnies.
An easy way, or it used to be, to figure out which house’s style you liked, was to try their vintage-character rubies. Stuff like Six Grapes, Bin 27, and the like. I love the spiciness of Fonseca, others prefer the more sweet character of Graham’s. I like them all.
If you like tawnies, you might also want to give things like Museum Muscats a try. Usually Australian dessert wine, priced less than a lot of tawnies—thinking of Yalumba’s muscats—sweeter and richer than tawnies, but still that dark, touch oxidized character. Darker and sweeter still are things like PX sherry or Montilla-Moriles. Like drinking a cross between motor oil, Mrs Butterworths, and balsamico tradizionale, but so, so good.
Edit: I’ll give the SA dessert wines a look, Dibble. Thanks for mentioning them.
I’m liking the Chenins I’ve been trying from there recently, like Kloof Street. Frankly like it better than the more expensive stuff under the Mullineaux line.
I got to taste a 40 year white port at the Port Wine Institute in Lisbon. It was two blocks from our house. Silky smooth and beyond superlatives. Also, port with Stilton cheese and almonds is killer.
Rutherford puts out a zinfandel port that is stunning.
Now that you’ve developed a palate and a language, it’s time to start tasting flights. The last one I tried was a selection of 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old ports. I’m glad I sorta knew what I was tasting and even more glad someone else was paying for dinner.
Uh, sorry to er borrow the thread wolfman, I’ll return it in much the same condition it’s in…Promise
So, since I came across this thread, and I’m always game for a culinary adventure, could one of you explain the basics of Port to me? What is tawny and ruby, dry, white…help me have a very basic understanding please.
If I should decide to take a bottle to the family Christmas gathering, what would you recommend for a bunch that have never (to my knowledge except maybe one) had port. Assume a small variety of candies and nuts and possibly other food set up buffet style.
Generally, ruby ports are younger (aged 3 years) and cheaper than tawny port. Different flavor profile, as well, and they’re usually a mixture of grapes and vintages . Tawny ports are older vintages and more expensive.
There’s more, but for more details, see a site such as this one.
Generally, ruby ports are fruity and tawny ports are nutty. I prefer the latter, and a good one is the Taylor Fladgate 10 year I mentioned above.
A nasty, inclement night ravaged the city. Winos huddled in a barely-sheltered alcove. They searched their pockets and scrounged up enough change for mickeys (cheap half-bottles) of the worst port wine. They argued about what to buy from the Arab corner market. “Red port,” said one. “White port,” insisted another. “No, tawny port!” and “Golden port, godammit!” echoed past the sleeting rain.
A mediator stood. “Boys, boys,” he said, “any port in a storm.”
Ok, thanks for the link Chef.
Nuts, assorted mints, other candies and chocolates, possibly turkey, more likely ham, along with probably potato salad and maybe some sliced tomatos iceburg lettuce etc for making sandwiches, maybe Grandma’s Recipe Baked Beans (likely to be the only homemade from scratch dish there) and one of those cream cheese with cranberry log thingies for crackers. I can well imagine a relish plate set out as well, but don’t know that it will be. My take away right now is that ruby or tawny would work but probably ruby would be better.
Not knowing what’s available for port around here off the top of my head, how wrong could I go just grabbing whatever bottle of ruby wine?
Port and sherry are really after dinner drinks, served in a small dessert wine glass. They’re way too sweet and heavy to have a glass or two with a meal.
As for this:
Very, very wrong indeed. Cheap port can be nearly undrinkable.
Oh hell yes. Years ago when my husband was in the Navy, we’d have these ‘dining in’ events where it was traditional to toast with port. And of course they’d buy the cheapest stuff available at the exchange liquor store. Awful.
Please note that if you look for ** Taylor Fladgate** as mentioned above, make sure that’s what you are getting - look for both names! There’s a cheap California port with just the name of Taylor (like this). Do NOT buy that one, not the same thing at all.
I avoided port for decades because I thought all port tasted like prune juice. This was based on trying a really cheap California port.
Something to note for those who are unaware: the names of many of the port producers like Taylor Fladgate, Graham, Cockburn, Dow and the like are distinctly un-Portuguese names and are often mistaken for being British or US products. The British got heavily involved in the shipping and production of port because of the shortage of French wine during wartime in the 1700s. The names are still in use even if the families who founded the wineries are no longer involved.
Also, the official name for port is vinho do Porto, or ‘wine of Porto’, the city at the mouth of the Douro River. The Douro Valley is a major grape growing region, and the road along side of it is a beautiful drive in the fall.
Late Bottled Vintage ports can be very good, but they taste very different than a Tawny port. I’m not a huge fan of LBV ports, preferring the Tawny ports.
I always keep a bottle of Taylor Fladgate 10 year tawny around, but don’t drink it very often these days. I love the 20-year Tawny, hut Canadian taxes have priced it out of my reach. It’s $80-$100 per bottle here now. The 10-year is around $40-$50, which is still pretty expensive.
My go-to now is Taylor-Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny. The price point is about $40.
