Try Pouring Port This Holiday Season

Port is one of the most under-utilized wine products during the holidays because fewer people regularly drink it and therefore forget about serving port. This is exactly why serving port at a holiday celebration makes it unique and fitting.

Basic Port Facts

Port originated in the Duoro Valley of Portugal. To be called a port, it must come from this region.

Port is a fortified wine, which means it has a higher alcohol content than wine as it has had brandy added to it. Therefore, a little goes a long way. In addition to the higher alcohol content, ports tend to be sweeter and heavier than a glass of wine because of the residual sugar. As a result, port is often served as a dessert wine.

While the port will taste best soonest to its opening, one of the benefits of port is that it can be consumed over a longer period than a bottle of wine. A tawny port can be comfortably drunk for up to two weeks, while a vintage port maintains its flavor for approximately a week.

Types of Port

Port has several styles, but the two most prevalent are tawny and vintage. Port is predominantly red, but white port is available in both sweet and dry styles.

Tawny ports are red grapes aged in wooden barrels that allow oxidation. The nutty flavor associated with a tawny port comes from the exposure to wood. Tawny ports can be blends of several wine vintages, and tend to be significantly more inexpensive than vintage ports. Most tawny ports are sweet.

Vintage ports are grapes from a single year and aged in a bottle. Generally winemakers only make vintage ports in the best years and the port takes many years to mature. As a result vintage ports have big and bold mouth-feels. Vintage ports can be both sweet and dry, and are more expensive than tawny ports.

Food Pairings with Port

Most ports fall on the sweet side, thus pairing well with dessert. Because of the strong flavor of port, whether sweet or savory, the dessert should be substantial. Tasty food and port pairings include:

Tawny port or vintage port and cheese - Choose a mild cheese such as a sheep's milk gouda, panquehue cheese, or brie that will complement the flavor.

Tawny port or vintage port and cookies - Pick any type and try it!

Tawny port and nuts - The sweet and nutty flavor of port pairs well with plain almonds or maple-coated pecans.

Vintage port and molten chocolate cake - The vintage port retains its flavor with a rich dessert like a molten chocolate cake and will add to its decadence.

A glass of port is a perfect close to a holiday meal or celebration. Read on and try these other pairings beyond port.

Sources:

Personal knowledge

The Essential Wine Book, Oz Clarke, Simon & Schuster, 2001.