Port, when well made, is among the finest wine experiences to be had. A little knowledge goes a long way in understanding Portugal's contribution to fine wine.
Chances are you haven’t bought Port recently. You probably tried a bottle of cheap stuff some time ago, didn’t like it, and decided you wouldn’t want to pay anymore than that. But that is exactly where the magic of Port begins. Fine Port is, like any fine wine, an experience you won’t soon forget. The world of fine Port is actually pretty straightforward once you know a thing or two. Before we get to the good stuff, though, we need to start with an introduction to Port and its production. After that, a little experimentation will get you on your way to Port proficiency.
True Port comes from Portugal, where it is known as Porto. As a style, it was created and favored in the 1700s by the British. To wit, most producers, known as shippers, were originally English, and their names still grace the labels of much of the Port available today.
Production
Port starts life in the vineyard as a number of grape varietals, which are vinified much like any other red blend. Its trajectory alters radically with a simple step: fortification. The addition of neutral spirits—grape spirit, in the best circumstances—kills the yeasts, which were fermenting the grape juice into wine, leaving the unfermented juice, with its natural sugar, forever part of the blend. This is what makes Port sweet.
Reputable Port houses do not add sugar and generally fall in a spectrum of sweetness per house style. Among commonly found brands, Grahams and Fonseca are good markers for the sweet side, with Taylor and Dow marking the austere end of the spectrum.
Basic Styles
Most shippers make common Ports, in a white, tawny or ruby style, which bear mentioning since they comprise a large percentage of the volume shipped from the region. While exact practices vary from shipper to shipper, common Ports usually don’t see the inside of a cask or barrel. Instead, they are made in tanks, stored in demijohns (large glass containers) and blended and bottled young for immediate consumption.
White Port, only rarely seen, makes a nice aperitif often served chilled with tonic and lemon twist. It is usually made dry, from white grape varieties. Good examples are bracing and slightly nutty. Common young tawnies acquire their color by being blended with white Port, not, as their older siblings, from long barrel contact. They tend toward simple flavors and are best chilled. The rubies of this ilk, like the tawnies above, are blends of the simplest lots available to the winery. Their flavors are primary – red fruit and a bit of heat – there is none of the complexity found in finer Ports. As you might expect, more reputable houses make better examples of all these common Ports.
Overall, though, these are probably the reasons you don’t like Port! Read about fine Port production to find the reasons you will fall in love with Port.
Resources
Port and the Duoro, Richard Mayson (Mitchell Beazley, latest ed. November 2004)
