Voice of the Vine – Winter Fortification

– By Lou Campoli –

Winter is really here. Gotta keep warm, both outside and in. And what better way to warm your innards than with some port. We're talking about moderation here, about a glass after dinner.

Port, real port, is from northern Portugal and is named after the town of Oporto in the Douro region. Don't be fooled by wines labeled "port" from other areas of the world; they really mean that they are made from many different grapes in the port method. For real port, look for Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca, Graham's, Warre's, Dow's, Quinta do Noval, Quinta do Infantado, Croft and Sandeman.

While many grapes are allowed in the production of port, five dominate: tinta barroca, tinta cão, tinta roriz (tempranillo), touriga francesa and touriga nacional.
Port is made differently than other red wines. The fermentation starts out the same, with yeast converting sugar in the must (crushed grape juice) to alcohol. But instead of waiting for the yeast to convert all the sugar into alcohol, resulting in a dry wine with about 13-15% alcohol, the fermentation is stopped after several days by the addition of neutral grape spirits to the must, raising the alcohol to a level at which the yeast cannot live, thereby leaving some sugar in the must. The resulting wine is thicker, sweeter and more alcoholic (usually about 20%) than regular red wine.
Port can be made in several styles. Ruby port ($14) is the least expensive and most widely produced port. After the wine is made, it is stored in stainless steel or concrete vats to prevent oxidation and maintain its ruby red color.

Tawny port ($14) is aged in barrels for a long time, as much as ten ($30), twenty ($50), thirty ($100), and forty years ($165). As it ages in the barrel, it oxidizes a bit and changes to a deep tawny color, hence the name.

Vintage character port ($17) is higher quality ruby port. Examples are Fonseca Bin 27, Taylor Fladgate First Estate and Graham's Six Grapes.
Late-bottled vintage (LBV) port ($20) is an even higher quality ruby port that has been aged four to six years in barrel.

Vintage port ($100) is the quintessential port, made by the finest vineyards in only the very best years. By Portuguese wine law, vintage port must be bottled within two to three years of harvest, and is the only port that is aged in bottle. Vintage port can be enjoyed after ten to twenty years in bottle, and will age gracefully in the bottle for more than fifty.

Because vintage port is aged in bottle, it will always throw sediment and must be decanted before serving. All other ports are bottled when they’re ready to drink, and do not need to be decanted before serving.

When we order port, we don't preface it with the word “red” because that's the most familiar to us. But did you know that white port is also produced?

In this case, white grapes are used: esgana-cão, folgasão, malvasia, rabigato, verdelho and viosinho. White port ($17) can actually be quite dry, unlike red port, but there is nothing on the label to indicate that. You really don't know if it is dry or sweet until you open the bottle.

Beginning in 2008, a new style of port has been introduced in the market – pink port. It is a ruby port that has had limited contact with the crushed grape skins, thereby producing a pinkish color. This style of port is lighter and fruitier than other ruby ports. Croft is the first to produce this style of port and it is available in the New York area. We haven't yet had the opportunity to sample pink port.

We are often asked about food matches for port. White port serves as an apéritif with toasted almonds, smoked salmon and dried plums. It can also be used during a meal with fish salads and rich, creamy soups.

Before or after the meal, tawny port matches well with stronger cheese and patés. During the meal, LBV port can be used with roast meats and steaks with rich sauces.
Port is especially delicious with desserts. With cheesecake, you can use ruby port. Two classic matches for LBV or vintage port are dark chocolate in any form, such as chocolate mousse and chocolate cake, and Stilton cheese, as well as other blue cheeses.

We recently experienced a fabulous after-dinner pairing, two actually. We were served sliced poached pears with crème fraiche and a rich toffee sauce. We also had dolce Gorgonzola cheese, which is younger, milder, creamier and more ivory-colored than aged Gorgonzola. We paired both of these with 2003 Fonseca LBV and they matched perfectly, especially the pears. Wow!

Tasting port is a remarkable experience. It warms the body and heart during the cold winter months. Enjoy.