27 Jan Pass the Port, Please
This test kitchen note comes courtesy of our Pastry Princess, Monica Glass. For more information, see our Port dossier.
An overcast sky and ripping wind made for a desolate evening at home (ever the rare occurrence in this robust city). And with an endless pile of mess engulfing almost every empty space in my room, I was destined for dreadful evening. Over the year, I’ve slowly discovered ways in which to make myself more productive, or in the very least I’ve found ways to make the passing time more pleasurable, and a spicy port happens to be one such vice.
Aching for the perfect remedy to console myself on such a wintry evening, I cracked open a bottle of port; Nieport Ruby Porto to be exact. With admirable density and flavorful oomph full of spicy nuts, dark fruits and creamy caramel notes, it felt effortlessly smooth caressing my lips. Nothing makes a body cozier during winter than a glass of port (sorry, but even I must give hot chocolate a back seat to port). I swooned, I sipped, I got sticky, I drank. Such a sweet cap to a blistering day.
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Port is a fascinating, yet confusing topic. You may think it’s just a dessert wine… perhaps the most common, too… but Port is sexy. It’s sassy. In fact, it’s the sexiest of dessert wines. And sublimely delicious. Now that’s the truth.
Port is a fortified wine, meaning that certain spirits, particularly brandy, and sometimes additional flavorings, herbs or spices are added to protect and stabilize the wine (giving it a longer shelf life after opening). The addition of brandy takes place either before or during the fermentation process, the timing of which makes a difference to the end product. If added before fermentation, the wine has a higher sugar content and is, therefore, sweet; if added after fermentation a dryer wine is achieved. Fortifying also gives them a more complex and robust flavor, as well as increasing the alcohol content. Fortified wines are generally between 17 and 21 percent alcohol. Marsala, madeira and sherry are other fortified wines, and as with port, are often called “stickies” as they tend to be thick, sweet and, well, sticky.
True Port wine comes only from the city of Oporto in the Douro Valley in Portugal, in the same manner that true Champagne is only produced in the Champagne region of France. Only 5 of the 30 varieties of grape grown in the Douro Valley region are considered to be of exceptional enough quality for port: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão and Touriga Francesa. The Touriga Nacional grape is said to be, without a doubt, the best grape for making port; however, it is not the most widely planted variety, as it only produces about half the yield of other varieties. Nevertheless, this vigorous and robust grape gives port its deep color and longevity.
There are many styles of port, but two broad categories of two distinctly different aging processes define port: bottle aged or cask aged. Bottle aged (Vintage) ports retain their color and fruitiness into their maturity since they are aged for only a short time in wood and are bottled without filtration when they are meant to mature. Cask aged (Wood) ports are aged in wood, filtered and then bottled, so they tend to become tawny in color and are also ready to drink immediately.
Ruby – The most basic, youngest and least expensive style is a blend of red grapes from several years’ harvests that ages two to three years in stainless steel or wood before being bottled. The lightest and fruitiest of ports, they taste of berries with vanilla and light tannins. A decent Ruby will set you back $15-$20 and is a great starting point for the novice.
Tawny – Simply a mixture of ruby and white ports, the best tawnys have acquired their “tawny” or amber hue from longer wood ageing than ruby – at least six years and up to 40 – in the cask before bottling. They are usually sweet with a buttery, nutty caramel flavor that results from the oxidation of wood ageing.
Vintage – Regarded by connoisseurs as the crème de la crème of ports, they are the most expensive and rare. Vintage port comes from a single harvest of exceptional quality, and is bottled after two to three years of cask ageing. The wine then spends many years maturing in the bottle, and some of the best may take over 50 years to be ready for drinking. The best vintages from this century include 1994.
Note: If you do open a Vintage Port, make sure you decant it several hours ahead to remove the sediment that has built up in the years of ageing.
Late Bottled Vintage or LBV – These were created specifically to give restaurants a vintage type port that did not have sediment and could last a while after opening. While they are actually the produce of a single vintage, those deemed not good enough to make a vintage port will typically go into the making of a LBV. Not meant for ageing, it is ready to drink earlier than vintage port. One added bonus, though, is that you can expect it to last for a full month after opening.
White – These are produced in the same manner as ruby ports, but with white grapes, White ports (in the opinion of many) should either be left on the shelf or used solely in mixed drinks or cooking. If served alone, white port is almost always chilled and served as an apéritif.
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“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food!!”
Julia Child
Port is a wonderful wine to blissfully sip in a relaxed manner after a good meal. The best things in life are always bittersweet, and this velvety wine is not meant for fast drinking. Port should be served around 65 degrees, in a narrow wine glass that should be filled no more than halfway so the wine’s aroma (pepper, smoke, truffles and black currant) can be fully appreciated. Because it can stand up to other strong flavors, port goes very well with exquisite cheeses like Stilton, Gorgonzola or cheddar. It also pairs beautifully with walnuts, hazelnuts and chocolate.
Its rich and sweet flavor can add a wonderful dimension to many foods, and has, therefore, long been used in cooking a variety of dishes, savory and sweet. Port can be used as a sauce to accompany and brighten a meat, cheese course or dessert. In cooking, ruby ports are the most utilized, as they retain their robust color; just make sure to always use a wine that you would drink. Incorporate port as you would any other wine: After searing the meat, deglaze the pan with the port and reduce it to about half; or try reducing the port alone (or with a little sugar) to accompany a cheese course. Fruit-based desserts are also a natural ally to port. One favorite use for port is to poach fruits in the sticky liquid – try a port-poached pear with some ice cream for a succulent treat.
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“Port is a wine that strengthens as it gladdens as no other wine can do,” and my newfound love affair with port fills me with tiny butterflies. Compelled by all its mystical qualities, this month we’ve created quite an assortment of recipes based on the luscious elixir.
I’m inspired, and a few more ideas I’d like to attempt in the coming month include things like Stilton ravioli with port and walnut sauce, port caramels…yum.