While Not Exactly Cool These Days, Port Can Be Glorious To Behold

The sweet, fortified wine of Portugal, Port, is the country’s most important and historic export. It’s also become its stodgiest, the stuff of frumpy old Englishmen in tailcoats, smoking cigars by roaring fires after dinners in old manor houses in the countryside. Yet there is a reason this drink is so famous and continues to be worth a tipple or two for those with an open mind.Part of the poor reputation may well be deserved. Port was created by wealthy English merchants: Not exactly the epitome of cool. Its style — very sweet, with about 100 grams per liter of residual sugar, and alcoholic, about 20 percent alcohol by volume — is no longer fashionable. There are so many types and subcategories of Port, it’s difficult to figure out where to put your money. Plus, the best versions, the “vintage Ports,” generally need 20-plus years to hit their prime drinking window. Time and storage space are luxuries few modern drinkers can afford.For centuries, though, the thing that now makes Port uncouth, the sugar and alcohol, were exactly what made it so famous in the first place. Besides tasting delicious, these are both preservatives, and they were some of the only ones available until Louis Pasteur got a grasp on microbes. This is why most wine made throughout history was consumed locally: There was no way to keep it sound on long journeys. Historically famous wines such as Tokaj, Sauternes, Vin Doux Naturel, etc., were all sweet and rich, because they were the ones merchants could transport to the aristocracy. Royalty were the original “influencers,” the analog world’s best marketer; it was the only way to elevate a wine’s status.A wine named Port was first mentioned in 1678, but the English already had been trading salt cod to the Portuguese for their wines for 200 years at that point. Interestingly, most wine in Europe is named for the place the grapes are grown, like Burgundy, Sancerre, or Chianti. In the case of Port, it’s named after the city, Oporto, where it made its departure from Portugal’s shores in the ships of merchants. This was a rare case of industry and marketing over terroir.The grapes themselves are farmed along the steep, winding banks of the Douro Valley. The schist soils (similar to slate, the famous soil in the Mosel) and the hot, dry climate were perfect for growing fully ripe, deeply colored, and richly flavored fruit. Wine was fermented in little huts throughout the vineyards and shipped downriver to the lodges of the shippers in Oporto. Opened in their prime, vintage Ports, only “declared” and made in the finest of years, are something glorious to behold. Time allows the powerful fruit notes, which can include sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, licorice, cinnamon, and menthol, to develop into tertiary notes of forest, mushroom, raisin, fig, chocolate, coffee, leather, nuts and more. The alcohol integrates, tasting less potent; the harsh tannins soften; and the sugar melts into the background, holding up the leftover fruit and giving a kiss of sweetness to never-ending finishes.If you don’t have the time, space, or financial investment for vintage Ports, there are several other options that come in at great prices. One is to find a retailer or auction house with vintage Port already aged. Because they’ve lost their cool factor, 10- to 60-year-old bottles at great deals are actually not that hard to find. Another is Colheita, a category introduced to release in non-vintage declared years. These are usually the best grapes that would be part of a vintage blend, but in the not best vintages they are still really good. It also makes them cheaper and faster developing as well (because they don’t come from the very best years), meaning you can enjoy them in 5-10 years, rather than the typical 20-plus.LBV, or late-bottled vintage, is another great option. These are sold at a fraction of the price of the other two. They are ports that are aged in cask at the winery for 5-10 years. This allows them to mature those tertiary flavors much more quickly than the vintage and colheita versions, which are bottled right away and have to age under cork, a far slower process. They give you a taste of the good stuff, and offer a lot of bright fruit notes, without having to go all in.Tawny Port is another category that is totally different than other styles, and one I find is wholly underappreciated. These are ports that have aged for 10, 20, or 50-plus years in cask. They turn golden in color the longer they are aged and start to taste of nuts, toffee, caramel, chocolate, apricot, vanilla, cedar, and on and on.White Port is a newer category that makes excellent spritzers. They are bright, fruity, floral, and taste great on a deck with some fresh sardines and olives. Last year I had my first aged White Port, and I have to say, it was one of the most delicious things I’d had in a very long time. Lighter than the other styles, with more acidity from the white grapes, for more lift on the palate, without lack of flavor, and more toward the tawny profile.What I will recommend avoiding, for those whose impression of Port is as simple, sweet, and boozy, is the entry-level Ruby, Tawny, and White Ports. Personally, these are great for cooking and not much else.Whichever you choose to try, I do think their proper place is with a dessert course or as its replacement. Port is one of the few wines that legitimately pairs great with chocolate. Small glasses are recommended, as the alcohol level is between a wine and a cocktail and can go to the head quite quickly. It’s time to take Port into the hands of the people. The wine is so retro, it’s time for it to be cool again.

While Not Exactly Cool These Days, Port Can Be Glorious To Behold

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