What is Port Wine? Everything You Need to Know
What is Port Wine? I am sure you must have drunk this wine and don’t know exactly what it is, or you must have heard a friend talk about it. No worries, as you read through, I will satisfy your curiosity by telling you all you need to know about Port Wine.
What is Port Wine?
Port is a sweet crimson fortified wine from Portugal. Port is a sweet wine that tastes of raspberry, blackberry, caramel, cinnamon, and chocolate sauce.
There are various types of port, but the two most common are red port, which has more berry and chocolate flavors (and slightly less sweetness), and tawny port, which has more caramel and nut flavors.
Older, quality Tawny Ports have a broader range of subtle tastes, including graphite, green peppercorn, hazelnut, almond, butterscotch, and graham cracker. Look for wines that have matured for 30 years or more to achieve this complexity!
Port wine is most typically consumed as a dessert wine due to its richness.
The Common Styles of Port Wine
There are numerous distinct official types of Port, but the majority fall into these four categories:
1. Ruby (Red) Port
A deeply tinted red port that comprises Vintage, Late-bottled Vintage (LBV), Crusted, and Ruby Port.
2. Tawny Port
A sweet, barrel-aged port with oxidative nut and caramel characteristics.
3. White Port
Made from indigenous white grapes such as Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio, and Malvasia.
4. Rosé Port
This is a new style of Port wine made like rosé wine, with tastes of strawberry, violet, and caramel.
How to Serve Port Wine
Port should be served just below room temperature, at roughly 60 °F (16 °C). In the summer, Ruby Port is often served on the rocks with a lime peel.
Can I Pair Port Wine with Food?
Yes, you can. Port wine goes well with intensely flavored cheeses (particularly blue cheese and washed-rind cheeses), chocolate and caramel sweets, salted and smoked almonds, and even sweet-smoky meats (barbecue anyone?).
What Makes Port Unique?
One of the most important characteristics of authentic Port is its distinct blend of Portuguese indigenous grapes. Port grapes include Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cão, with at least 52 varietals.
Each grape contributes a distinct flavor to the combination. For example, Touriga Nacional provides blueberry and vanilla notes, whereas Touriga Franca adds raspberry and cinnamon notes.
How Long Does Port Last Open?
Ruby-style Port lasts approximately 2 weeks (or a month if properly stored in the fridge), whereas tawny Port lasts about a month.
To keep wines fresher for longer, store them in a cool, dark spot and use a vacuum preserver to remove oxygen.
How long will Port Cellar?
Vintage Port is meant to last a long time!
Vintage ports that are over a century old are quite valuable! However, the majority of Port we see in supermarkets is bottled in a style that suggests it should be consumed immediately. Look at the cork to know which is which.
Vintage Port features a typical long cork, while the “Drink Now” Port has a plastic-topped cork cap.
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