Port Wine

Port wine is a sweet, fortified wine, often thought of as a dessert wine. Port style wines are produced in several countries, but only wines from the Douro region of Portugal are labeled as “Porto”. The pretenders are often labeled as “Port” rather than “Porto”. Port wines are fortified with the addition of distilled spirits, often cognac, in order to boost their alcohol content. The higher alcohol content was originally needed to preserve the wine during sea voyages. The wine gets its name from the seaport city of Porto, the port from which much of it was originally exported. There are two primary categories of Port, vintage and non-vintage (or wood) Ports.

Vintage Ports are wines which are kept in wood barrels only very briefly and are then aged in the bottle. Vintage Ports must be bottled two years after the harvest. The words "Vintage Porto" must appear together on the label, in large print and on the same line. This designation distinguishes a vintage Port from those non-vintage Ports which also show a vintage date on their label. Vintage Ports are medium-to-full bodied, with an elegance and richness not found in non-vintage Port. As a rule vintage Ports need to be at least 10-15 years old before they are considered ready-to-drink.

Most Vintage Ports are blended. As with any blended wine, the goal of blending is to create a whole that is better than the sum of its parts. The character of Ports will vary from producer to producer; each Port house having a unique style that remains consistent throughout the entire range of product -- from Ruby through Tawny to their Vintage Port. Port houses only declare a vintage product in the best years. Only about 2% of Ports are vintage.

Non-vintage Ports are those that do not meet the requirements of a vintage Port. Non-vintage Ports include wines such as Ruby, Tawny and White Ports. Ruby Ports are generally the youngest Ports. The designation comes from the bright ruby-garnet color of these wines. Fruity with noticeable sweetness, these are sometimes served as an aperitif. or with fruity-sweet deserts. Bottle aging does not improve Ruby ports and they are considered ready-to-drink once bottled. While not improving in the bottle, Rubies will last reasonably well after opening.

Tawny Ports are older, lighter in both body and drier than Rubies. Again the designation comes from their amber color. Tawnies are usually produced by combining various older Port wines. There are two primary kinds of Tawnies, those with no statement of age and older Tawnies with a specific statement of age. The only age statements legally permitted are: 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-Year Old Port. Older Tawnies are drier, paler in color and exhibit a more elegant bouquet and subtle flavor than their younger brethren. They are also more expensive. Tawny Ports, like Rubies, do not improve in the bottle, but will last once open. Tawny Ports are typically served after dinner, either alone or with delicate, flavorful desserts.

As you might expect, White ports are made from white-wine rather than red-wine grapes. White ports come in two varieties, dry and sweet, and should be served cool or cold. White Ports are not very popular in the United States and you may have trouble finding one at a restaurant. If you do find one, the odds are the bar tender won’t know to serve it to you chilled. As with other non-vintage Ports, white Ports don’t improve with age, but will last after opening.