Things you always wanted to know about Port but were afraid to ask...

The cellars at Graham's Port

A lot of people coming into the store saying, "I want to buy a gift for a friend. I know they drink Port. I don't know anything about it, but do you have any?" It seems that a lot of people have friends who drink Port, but are too shy to ask about it (or maybe their friends aren't offering a taste!) With Rupert Symington, a member of the family that owns Graham's Port, coming to the store next week, we thought this would be a good opportunity to catch up on some Port basics. Here are some of the most common questions people ask:

What exactly is Port?

In wine terms, Port is a fortified wine. That's just a hoity-toity way of saying that extra alcohol (usually a fairly flavorless brandy) is added to the wine during the fermentation process. Generally, they add enough to put the wine at about 20% alcohol by volume. This stops the fermentation by killing off the yeasts before they have been able to consume all of the grape sugars, and what's left is a sweet wine with a relatively high alcohol content. And that's Port!

I've seen lots of different kinds of Ports out there. What's the difference?

There are a lot of different types of Port out there. But there are two broad categories that they all fall into: Ruby and Tawny (there are also White Ports, but they're pretty unusual, so I won't go into them here). Ruby Ports look like any other dark red wine (hence the name "ruby"), and their flavors are pretty familiar, as well. Think of a rich California Cabernet with lots of dark berry and spice flavors--then add a little sweetness and some extra alcohol to balance it.

Tawny Ports are a bit different. They're made by aging the wine for several years in enormous oak vats (like the ones in the picture) that are open on top. This exposes the wine to oxygen, which gives it different flavors and, yes, a tawny complexion. These wines are lighter bodied than ruby Ports, and typically have nutty aromas, with hints of oranges and honey.

I'm afraid the details of all the different types of Ports will have to wait for another post, but the best way to learn about the differences between ruby and tawny Ports is to taste them!

How do you serve Port?

Port falls squarely into the after-dinner category, either on their own, or with cheese or dessert. You may have heard of the classic Port with Stilton cheese pairing, and I absolutely endorse it--both Ports pair wonderfully with a wide variety of cheeses, especially blue cheese. Both are great with sweets, as well. Ruby Port, with its wonderful richness, is one of the few wines that I would ever serve with chocolate. Tawnies are a bit lighter, and so they're not as good a match with something as mouth-coating as chocolate, but they do great with other desserts, especially ones with some citrus or nuts. Serve ruby Ports at room temperature. Tawnies work well at room temp, too, but are great with a slight chill.

Once I open a bottle, how long does it last?

One of the great things about opening a bottle of Port is that, unlike a bottle of table wine, it won't go bad if you leave it open for more than a couple days! With the exception of vintage Ports (the really expensive ones!) Ports usually last a couple of weeks at least. Tawnies are already oxidized, and so will last even longer. Best way to know if the bottle is still good: taste it! If it still tastes good, drink up. If not, oh well--buy another bottle!

If we didn't answer your most pressing Port questions, post a comment here and we'll answer them!