Speak Easy looks at Ports

With-cold weather upon us and the holiday season fast approaching, most of us are eagerly anticipating the warmth and joy that only holiday entertaining can bring. Be it a company Christmas party, family gathering or an evening with friends, 'tis definitely the season for camaraderie and sharing. Due to the shear numbers of get togethers and evenings out, alcohol consumption is at its peak for the year, with many consumers trying new drinks and discovering new favorites. Red wines are extremely popular this time of year; the Merlots and Zinfandels lead the pack with big, bold bouquets and lasting finishes. Brandies and cordials, hot coffee drinks and champagnes are also enjoying their annual popularity but the real winners are the Ports. Little known and out of favor for most of the year, this is their time to shine.

Although Port wines are now produced all over the world, the segment originated in Portugal in the 1600's. In order to ship their wines, enterprising growers discovered that by adding neutral grape brandy to the wine as a preservative, the brandy would stop the fermentation process early resulting in a wine with a high sugar and alcohol content. This sweet, fortified wine, shipped from the city of Porto was a commercial success then and now.

Basically there are two categories of Port wine:

Wood port

Ready to drink upon release, this category is made up of two types, ruby and tawny. Ruby port is usually very fruity and dark, made up of non-vintage wine. Tawny is delicate and light blended from many vintages and aged in oak.

Vintage port

Declared by the producers, vintage ports are the result of an excellent growing year, temperature, rainfall and an aligning of the stars result in a grape and a wine that is exceptional. Aged in oak casks for two years before being bottled, these wines are then set aside for at least 15 years before drinking. Depending on the quality of the individual vintage, these wines continue to improve for decades.

Vintage or non-vintage, Ports are a cold weather favorite. Sweet and easy to drink for novices, complex and heady for connoisseurs, it is not that hard to find a Port that is right for you. A casual after dinner soirée by the fire might call for a nice tawny, while a winter hike and picnic would suggest the robust ruby. Special occasions and gift giving usually lead to a vintage selection, with excellent choices from 1983 and 1985.

Some favorites

Cockburn

Fonseca

Sandeman

Warre's

Dows

Croft

Port and other adult beverages are best if consumed after your twenty-first birthday. Be responsible.