Port is a fortified wine from Portugal. A neutral grape spirit (brandy) is added to the wine halfway through its fermentation. This fortifies the alcohol content, stops the fermentation process, and leaves residual sugar in the wine. Port is sweet with about 19% to 21% alcohol.
The most important styles of Port are all red. The five most important grapes are touriga nacional, tinta barroca, tinto cao, touriga francesa, and tinta roriz (known in Spain as tempranillo). These are blended in any combination.
Styles of Port
Ruby
Young, fruit-forward. The least complex style; mostly no bottle aging before release. Most often aged two to three years in stainless steel tanks to prevent oxidation and preserve its bright ruby color. Simple and fruity. Grapes come from the less prestigious western end of the Douro.
Young Tawny
Aged less than three years in barrels to expose it to gradual oxidation. Oxidizes to a tawny-brown color. Barrels impart "nutty" flavors to the wine. Not as fruity as a ruby, not as intense as an aged tawny. Lighter color may also be caused by less contact with grape skins during fermentation. For undistinguished young tawnies, lighter color may also come from blending with white port. Grapes come from the less prestigious western end of the Douro.
Aged Tawny
Age designation on the label: 10, 20, 30, and 40 year old. High quality grapes from the best regions are used. Blended from Ports of several years, left in barrel until they take on nutty, brown sugar, and vanilla flavors and a soft, silky texture. Long barrel aging changes the color to tawny. Age designation is average age of the wines used. A 20-year-old Tawny contains wines older than 20 years and some wines younger than 20 years. These Ports are about finesse.
Vintage Character Port
Confusing term. Round, juicy, no resemblance to vintage ports, and not from a single vintage. Better name would be super ruby. Made from good quality grapes aged four to six years in barrels. Bold flavors. Not very expensive.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
From a single vintage and aged in barrels for four to six years, bottled and ready to drink. Doesn’t have the aging potential of vintage Port. LBV is filtered before being bottled. Can be very good, but lacks the richness, complexity, and sophistication of vintage Port at half the cost.
Vintage Port
Themost expensive. Made only in exceptional years—designated on the bottle. All grapes in the blend come from that vintage, from the top regions and vineyards of the Douro. Aged 2 years in barrels then 10 years in bottle. Vintage Ports are about power. Neither fined nor filtered, it throws sediment as it matures in the bottle. Must be decanted.
The User's Manual
Enjoy Port on its own after a meal.
Fine cigars: pick a port from any style.
Blue Cheese and Roasted Nuts: Especially Stilton and Gorgonzola
For Desserts
Ruby, Vintage Character, LBV, and Vintage Ports: berry and plum pies and tarts, warm flourless chocolate cake, chocolate soufflé, black forest cake, devil's food cake, milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate
Tawny Ports: crème brulee, banana tart, bananas foster, banana cake, pecan pie, almond cake, walnut cake, almond cookies, pecan cookies, walnut cookies, caramel, any of the previous items combined with nutmeg or cinnamon
The most important styles of Port are all red. The five most important grapes are touriga nacional, tinta barroca, tinto cao, touriga francesa, and tinta roriz (known in Spain as tempranillo). These are blended in any combination.
Styles of Port
Ruby
Young, fruit-forward. The least complex style; mostly no bottle aging before release. Most often aged two to three years in stainless steel tanks to prevent oxidation and preserve its bright ruby color. Simple and fruity. Grapes come from the less prestigious western end of the Douro.
Young Tawny
Aged less than three years in barrels to expose it to gradual oxidation. Oxidizes to a tawny-brown color. Barrels impart "nutty" flavors to the wine. Not as fruity as a ruby, not as intense as an aged tawny. Lighter color may also be caused by less contact with grape skins during fermentation. For undistinguished young tawnies, lighter color may also come from blending with white port. Grapes come from the less prestigious western end of the Douro.
Aged Tawny
Age designation on the label: 10, 20, 30, and 40 year old. High quality grapes from the best regions are used. Blended from Ports of several years, left in barrel until they take on nutty, brown sugar, and vanilla flavors and a soft, silky texture. Long barrel aging changes the color to tawny. Age designation is average age of the wines used. A 20-year-old Tawny contains wines older than 20 years and some wines younger than 20 years. These Ports are about finesse.
Vintage Character Port
Confusing term. Round, juicy, no resemblance to vintage ports, and not from a single vintage. Better name would be super ruby. Made from good quality grapes aged four to six years in barrels. Bold flavors. Not very expensive.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
From a single vintage and aged in barrels for four to six years, bottled and ready to drink. Doesn’t have the aging potential of vintage Port. LBV is filtered before being bottled. Can be very good, but lacks the richness, complexity, and sophistication of vintage Port at half the cost.
Vintage Port
Themost expensive. Made only in exceptional years—designated on the bottle. All grapes in the blend come from that vintage, from the top regions and vineyards of the Douro. Aged 2 years in barrels then 10 years in bottle. Vintage Ports are about power. Neither fined nor filtered, it throws sediment as it matures in the bottle. Must be decanted.
The User's Manual
Enjoy Port on its own after a meal.
Fine cigars: pick a port from any style.
Blue Cheese and Roasted Nuts: Especially Stilton and Gorgonzola
For Desserts
Ruby, Vintage Character, LBV, and Vintage Ports: berry and plum pies and tarts, warm flourless chocolate cake, chocolate soufflé, black forest cake, devil's food cake, milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate
Tawny Ports: crème brulee, banana tart, bananas foster, banana cake, pecan pie, almond cake, walnut cake, almond cookies, pecan cookies, walnut cookies, caramel, any of the previous items combined with nutmeg or cinnamon