Port - A Short Story

The Origin of Port
Port came originally from the Douro Valley in Portugal, near the Spanish border. Port was developed by seafarers by adding brandy to wine so that the wine would remain in a drinking condition for long periods of time in changing environments. Wines altered like this are known as fortified wines. The first ports were commercially produced in the 17th century.

Grapes used for Port
Both red and white grapes are used to produce port. It is kept in oak for a short time, blended with other wines to achieve a consistent taste, fortified and aged in bottles. There is some debate, as there should be, about which grapes produce the best port.

Drinking Port
Port should be enjoyed in a port sipper or a narrow glass so that less of the liquid is exposed to air. A liquid temperature between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius is considered the best. Port can be served with a variety of cheeses or chocolates, depending on taste.

Types of Port
Ruby Port is the most basic of port styles. This is made with a blend of red grape varieties and is blended from several years. It is not usually aged to any great degree, and tends to taste of berries, with light tannins.

Tawny Port is a ruby port that has been aged for several years in small oak barrels. This gives the port a tawny color, as well as a buttery, nutty caramel flavor. These are usually sweet. Vintage Port is the high end of port releases. Only the best years are declared a vintage and used for this purpose. All of the grapes from a single harvest are used in a given wine. This wine is aged in oak and then aged in the bottle. White Port is made from a selection of white grape varieties, and is then aged and fortified. It is typically a simple multi-year blend of vintages, can be sweet or dry.

Storing Port
Port is sold in bottles, small casks and barrels. As can be seen some ports need to be consumed soon after opening, particularly ruby ports (a month) and to some extent tawny ports (a few months). Port should be store in the same way as wine, ie., in a cool, dark, medium humidity, constant temperature space.

However, many connoisseurs claim that further aging of ports, particularly vintage port can be achieved by using a barrel. Traditionalists will only use oak barrels whilst others have used both stainless steel and glass barrels (as they are cheaper) with all kinds of additives. Port barrel keepers usually end up with a secret recipe for their port by mixing varying quantities of either one or more ports with brandy or marsala, and other special ingredients to achieve a unique taste.

It does not matter how you enjoy port, or where you enjoy it, or whom you enjoy it with - just enjoy in moderation, because tomorrow will be a new day.

We are researching this amazing product following some discussions with friends recently and found that Port had an interesting story to share. The debate about how to produce a good port from an inexpensive port using a port barrel at home is interesting as is the use of port sippers by some keen port lovers who like to taste port as it was intended by the maker. For more information go to http://enjoyingport.googlepages.com and enjoy.

Port - What Foods Go With It?
What goes with port?r Port is traditionally an aperitif or dessert wine often taken with cheddar cheese or chocolate, but there is another side of port that is being discovered. Port is a rich and complex in structure and can be a good supporter of different foods, when taken in small doses. Below are some suggestions that may excite the palette. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!Entresr Blue Cheeses: Chilled tawny portr Cheddar Cheeses: Ruby...

Port - When To Enjoy It
Port is one of the delights that has come to us with a rich history. It originates from Portugal, not far from the Spanish border. Like many inventions, port came about through necessity, because sailors needed to have a drink of wine in the evenings while they were away from home. With no real effective means of cooling wine, someone came up with the idea of mixing brandy with red wine and it worked. The resulting mixture kept longer under chang...

Port - Which One To Choose?
Which port should I choose? A difficult question indeed, but my research has unearthed a few guidelines.Port is usually richer and sweeter, and has a higher alcohol content than the wines that they were derived from. This is caused by the addition of brandy (or a distilled grape spirit) to halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol.There are four types of port readily available in most good suppliers. They are ruby, tawny, vin...

Port Sippers - Where Do They Come From?
Where do these unique glasses come from?Port sippers were first used in Europe during the 17th century. They are known as Schnapps Pfeiffe and were made from a ceramic material. The unique design allows the spirits to be sucked from the bottom of the glass at all times, ensuring that oxygen does not come into contact with most of the liquid. This effectively reduces the oxidation of the liquid, delivering it in the way that the maker intended, in...

Starting A Port Barrel
How do I get my oak port barrel producing?The process to mix or blend a unique port from basic ingredients is quite simple. However, it takes time as it is difficult to define our preferred taste easily, so there needs to be a number of trials. There are some basic tasks that will reduce the trial time. Fortunately a barrel can be used to blend and mix different ingredients into a tasty drink.Firstly, purchase your barrel from a reputable supplie...