How to Pick Port Wine

Just as true Champagne can come only from the Champagne region in France, true Port wine can only come from the Duoro Valley in Portugal. Port is a fortified wine (usually with Brandy) that is sweet in flavor, dark in color and a guilt-free alternative to traditional calorie-heavy and fat-laden desserts.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Port wine glasses
• Decanter

1. Know the 4 main Port categories before buying. They are Vintage, Ruby, Tawny and White.
2. Learn about Vintage Port. Vintage Ports are made from grapes of one Vintage and only the highest quality grape vintages are used. These Port wines are the most expensive to buy and are meant to be aged.
3. Discover Ruby Port. Ruby Ports are made of grapes from different years, are not designed to be aged and are the least expensive to buy. The flavor of Ruby Port leans toward sweet, ripe berries and is low in tannins.
4. Understand Tawny Port. This wine begins as Ruby Port but is aged for at least 6 more years. The flavors in Tawny Port tend to be creamy and buttery on the palate, with hints of caramel.
5. Find out about White Port. White Ports are made with white grapes, and may be sweet or dry and tend to have slight citrus flavors with small suggestions of butterscotch.
6. Research Bottle-Aged Port. Ports labeled Ruby, Ruby Reserve, Late Bottle Vintage and Vintage are all aged in the bottle.
7. Study Cask-Aged Port. Ports labeled Tawny, Tawny Reserve, Aged Tawny, Single Year Tawny and White are aged in wood casks.

Tips & Warnings

• Taste Port at the right temperature. Between 65 to 68 degrees F is optimum.
• Decant a well-aged port to avoid sediment in the glass.
• Use a Port wine glass to enjoy the full flavors and ensure proper delivery to your palate.
• Serve White Port chilled as you would an Aperitif at around 50 degrees F. Too warm and all you will taste is the alcohol content; too cold and you won't taste any of White Port's nuanced flavors.
• Store aged Port upright for at least 24 hours before serving. You will have a difficult time removing sediment if you don't.