Port Wine, Olive Oil and Chocolate

Made for centuries in the rugged region of northwest Portugal's Douro Valley, Port is a fortified wine that leans heavily on the sweeter spectrum and comes in a variety of styles ranging from youthful Ruby Port to aged Tawnies, and Late-Bottled Vintage Ports up to the distinguished character (and price) of Vintage Port.

Port wine, though typically associated with Portugal, really owes at least part of its invention to England as a direct (and delicious) by-product of Britain battling France through the 17th and 18th centuries. Essentially, the English boycotted French wine in the late 17th century as a result of continuous conflict and began sourcing their red wine from Portugal. They started adding a wee bit of brandy to the still wine to help sustain it during the voyage back to England. This brandy addition served to give the fragile still wine the fortitude to make the long trip on a rocking boat without spoiling, but it also made the wine considerably sweeter when it was added early enough to halt fermentation and leave residual sugar levels on the higher end. As a result, Ports have a reputation for being higher in alcohol, noticeably sweeter, with more body and palate density than other wines.

Port starts off similar to other still wines as far as the production process goes. Grapes are harvested and pressed to extract the juice and initiate fermentation. Many Port producers still embrace traditional foot-treading, in open air Lagares (large stone or cement tanks) for pressing the fruit, though recent years have seen the advent of mechanical treaders, fashioned after the human foot. After treading, the grape must, which contains all of the fresh-pressed grape juice that still has the seeds, stems, and grape skins ferment for several days until alcohol levels reach around 7%.

At this point, the young wine is fortified with brandy to bring the fermentation process to a sudden stop, while capturing the new wine's youthful fruit nuances and preventing the grape sugars from continuing their classic conversion to alcohol. This fortification will leave the residual sugar levels considerably higher than most still wines, typically in the 100 g/L range.

If you want to know how to drink port, you’ve come to the right place! Tawny and Reserve Port should be served at just below room temperature, around 10-16 C. This helps to bring out the sweetness and flavours of the dark red wine, without making the alcohol overpowering.

For Rosé and White Port, you want to go a bit colder: 4-10 C. These lighter ports are better enjoyed very cold. In Portugal White Port is often enjoyed with tonic as an aperitif.

Do you need to decant Port?

Only vintage Port and crusted Port need to be decanted before serving, but you can decant any Port if you wish. Why does Port need to be decanted? Vintage and crusted Ports need to be decanted because they have sediment in the bottle. This is not harmful to drink, just unpleasant. Any other Ports can be decanted, just like wine, if you want to release the aroma or add some theatre to the serving.

You don’t need to have a special decanter, any receptacle will do. (Jugs, vases and milk bottles have all been used in my house!) You can even rinse the original bottle with water and pour the port back into the bottle to serve if desired.

How do you decant Port?

Simply stand the bottle upright for a day or two. This will move all the sediment to the bottom of the bottle. Open the bottle gently and pour slowly and steadily in one motion until you can see the sediment moving into the neck of the bottle. It may be useful to have a light source underneath the neck so you can see clearly. Traditionally, this is done with a candle, but a phone torchlight works just as well!

How Long Does Port Last?

Many people ask : “How long does Port last once opened?” and “does Port go off quicker than other wines, due to its extra sugar and alcohol content?”

Most wines will go off within a few days of opening, but Port can last for much longer, depending on the style. Vintage Ports are best consumed within a few days, but Reserve and Tawny ports should last a few weeks in the fridge.

To keep your ports good for longer, store them in a cool, dark place. Use a vacuum preserver to remove oxygen from the bottle before re-corking—it will make the wine last longer!

Ageing Port

The beauty of Port wine is that it can age much better than regular red wine. The best Vintage Ports can be aged for many decades from the bottle. Tawny and Reserve Ports will keep but can be drunk immediately, having been aged by the producer.

The ageing process softens the tannins. The rich, dark aromas of the fruits and berries will give way to dried fruit and nut flavours.

Cooking with Port Wine

Cooking with wine, and especially cooking with Port, is a great way to add rich, fruity flavours to your meals. With Port, you want to use it for sauces in savoury and sweet dishes. You can also make rich, gooey chocolate sauces to serve with cake.

If you want to make a delicious red wine reduction to serve with rich dishes such as venison or a nut roast, Port makes an excellent alternative to red wine. The higher sugar content of port means it reduces into a thicker consistency than red wine. It’s a great way to bring depth and sweetness to meals. For cooking, Ruby or Reserve Port is your best choice.

So, there you go, hopefully most of your "Port related" questions answered. Also, like other red wines, Port contains beneficial vitamins, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants (like flavonoids and a substance called resveratrol). Recent research has shown that drinking red wine can protect against prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease (staving off mental decline) and heart disease.

As if we needed an excuse!