Oeno Speaks
Port
by Vicki Reich, Beer & Wine Buyer, from the April 2007 Newsletter
I thought I’d go out with a bang and kill two birds with one stone. In other words, I have just enough time to write one newsletter article. Since I thought tasting port sounded like a great last taste test and since port is a fortified wine, I’ve combined my two columns and had a lot of fun doing it.
Port has been around since the 17th century and got its start from a war between Britain and France. The British couldn’t bear to be without good wine once they declared war and looked to their friends in Portugal to fill the void. The Portuguese coastal wine was not as good and in order to preserve the inland wine for transport, brandy was added. Then someone discovered that if the brandy was added during instead of after fermentation, the sweetness and fruitiness were preserved, plus the stuff had a real kick.
In order to be called port, the wine must come from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Everything else must be called port-style wine. Most of the Port Houses that we know today have been in existence since the early 1900s. There are many styles of Port. They depend on the amount of time the wine stays in wooden casks and in a bottle. The most sought after ports are Vintage Ports, which are the cream of the crop from a single vintage year that are stored for a long time. They make up only 2 percent of the port in the world. We don’t sell any. We sell the youngest (ruby) and the second youngest (tawny) ports. Ruby ports are a rich burgundy color and fruity and sweet. Tawny, which has aged in wood longer and lost some of its color is an amber color with a drier and nuttier flavor. I decided to taste test the three ruby ports we carry.
The Hog Heaven Handspinners were eager to help me with this tasting. We started the evening with Dows Ruby Port ($14), which we thought was fruity but not too sweet. The flavor was very upfront and then tapered off at the finish. It was not very full bodied and very easy to drink. The second port was Sandemans Ruby Port ($12), which had the most beautiful ruby color. It was more full bodied, more acidic and even less sweet than the Dows. The flavor also lingered in your mouth for longer. The last port of the evening was Presidential Ruby Port ($13). This was the most complex with rich tannins and smoky overtones. It is moderately sweet and full bodied.
There was no clear winner even though we all went back for seconds and even thirds. We did all agree that we liked port and we were surprised at the strong differences between the brands. Our spinning and conversation were certainly enhanced by our tasting, and if nothing else, that made it all worth the effort.
Vicki Reich is moving to Sagle, Idaho and hopes to continue writing for the Community News with her new-found free time. She doesn’t know how she’ll cope without a few deadlines in her life.
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