| Port
Wine: An Elegant Finale
(c) Marisa
D'Vari Do you love to entertain for
business and pleasure? Do you consider yourself a leader on new dining trends?
Are you the first person on your block to chat up a just-opened restaurant or
exalt a fabulous, yet undiscovered wine? If so, you should know that Port, the
classic after dinner drink, is the exciting new fashion this fall.
Why Port? Why now? Restaurants in all cities offer Port on their lists and many
others are adding it to their Fall and Winter menu.
Yet
why wait for an evening out to enjoy this distinguished beverage? Now that the
crisp days of Fall are upon us, curl up with a glass of it in your own home. A
single sip of this classic fortified wine conjures up images of elegant mansions,
white-gloved servants and fine living for an extremely modest price. City Cellars,
a downtown wine store, sells three varieties of Port under $23. As a single bottle
can serve around twelve, consider offering it to add a touch of elegance at your
next holiday party. Curiously, the
luxury that is Port wine was not scientifically created in a winery but occurred
accidentally aboard a ship - a result of fortification combined with hot, humid
weather and extreme rocking due to a very rough sea. The year was 1703. England,
being at war with France, could no longer buy their wine. The English made Portugal
their new supplier, but Portugal’s thin wines could not withstand the rigors
of the voyage across the Bay of Biscay. Two savvy English merchants discovered
that by adding some brandy to the wine in Portugal before it finished fermenting
(a process known as fortification), the wine could be stabilized for the journey.
When the roughly-traveled, fortified wine was uncorked in England, surprised but
delighted citizens felt the resulting sweet, rich, complex wine appropriate for
after-dinner sipping. Port wine is
produced in various styles for distribution at various price points. The most
expensive Port wines are those that have been matured in cask and bottle for the
longest period of time (ranging from ten to forty years) and come from single
estates (called a quinta) in Portugal. Every quinta is given a quota as to the
volume it may produce to ensure that more wine is not produced that can be sold
profitably. So which Port is best?
If you can afford it, Late Bottled Vintage Port is considered the gold standard.
Brian Hymel, proprietor of City Cellars, remembers being served a 1937 Port at
a friend’s house. “It was brown around the edges and cloudy,” Hymel
recalls, “but it still retained its fruit and flavor.” In
keeping with Port’s image as a luxury item, why not visit an upscale fine
dining restaurant and simply order a glass of Port to accompany your dessert?
Sommeliers across America offer Port on the menu ranging from $7 - $11.50 for
a standard, two-ounce pour. Many people choose Port to accompany their dessert.
Traditionally, however, Port is served with a strong blue cheese such as Stilton,
or fruit and chocolate." Or go
the social route and throw a Port-tasting party. Forget the hassle of preparing
dinner and simply display platters of blue cheese, crackers, dried figs, and whole
nuts (such as walnuts and almonds) with nut-cracking utensils to pair with the
wine. Provide improvised scorecards and, after the tasting notes are in, distribute
“official” tasting notes gleaned from the Internet or the wine store.
Like everything worth pursuing in
life, fully appreciating the nuances of Port wine is a lifelong endeavor. Yet
if you spend a single evening dedicated to understanding and enjoying Port at
home or in a restaurant or wine bar, you are way ahead of the game. It’s
very possible that by simply mentioning a Port wine by name you’ve experienced
to friends or clients while entertaining, you will be seen as the go-to person
where sophisticated dining is concerned. So
go ahead. Indulge in a sip of Port while these chill nights are upon us. Soon
again it will be Spring.
Until December, Salute!
Marisa D'Vari Varieties
of Port White Port is
made from white grapes only. It is golden in color, low in acidity, and has honey
and nut aromas. This wine can range from off-dry (a term used to describe a wine
that is a bit sweet) to very sweet. Unlike its darker cousins, white port can
be mixed with tonic water, ice, and a slice of lemon on warm summer days. Ruby
Port is young, non-vintage (meaning that the grapes are a blend of different
years), and deeply colored wine. It is sold at less than three years of age. Many
are sweet, simple wines with rather harsh alcohol. The
better ones are labeled as a Reserve Ruby and are a blend of higher quality
wine from one or more vintages that are cask-matured for up to five years before
bottling. They are full-bodied, with richer fruit and better integrated alcohol.
Tawny Port comes in two styles. The
less expensive style is a blend of ruby and white port, recognizable by its pink
rim. Reserve Tawny Port is a result of at least seven years maturation
in cask. This Port is soft, smooth, and recognized by its more russet, or tawny,
rim. Tawny Port with an indication
of age on the label is offered at 10, 20, 30 and over 40 years old. These are
the finest of all Tawny Ports with flavors of walnuts, coffee, chocolate, and
caramel. Crusted Port is a British specialty, bottled young and unfiltered. This
style of Port throws a heavy sediment (or crust) and needs to be decanted. Late
Bottled Vintage Port (LBV) is a wine from a specific year.
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