There?snothing that epitomises Christmas more than a glass of port wine and a piece ofStilton cheese after a heavy seasonal feast. There is something about the richsweet taste of this deep red fortified wine that complements the stiltonperfectly.
Port wine is so named because it is a wine fromPorto in Portugal.It is typically a sweet red rich wine but also comes in pink and white too. Itis a fortified wine. This means that additional spirits have been added to theoriginal liquid during its manufacture. In the case of port wine it is brandythat has been added to the wine during the fermentation process. This additionof the brandy to the wine halts the fermentation process and ensures that thereis sugar left in the wine which will increase its alcohol content. The wine isthen aged in cellars before it is bottled.
Port is only made in the DouroValleyregion, this is one of the oldest protected regions in the world. It is dividedinto three separate areas each which is known for producing a different type ofport. The first area is called Baixo Corgo which produces mostly inexpensiveruby and tawny ports; the second Cuma Corgo produces wines of a higher qualityand the third the Douro Superior produces fine wines.
Port wine comes in many different styles and it isoften confusing when you look on the labels of the bottles ? there are howeverbasically two categories, those that are matured in oak barrels and those thatare matured in sealed glass bottles.
Tawny ports are wines that are aged in barrels. Theyare sweet dessert wines with a nutty flavour which the barrel has imparted tothem during the aging process. There are different types of tawny port whichvary in price according to the length of time that they have been maturing inthe barrel, they can get quite expensive!
RubyPort is the cheapest type of port wine. It is bottle aged and does notgenerally improve with age ? it is however still a fabulous drink and as itdoesn't improve once it is open you have no choice but to drink it all - a goodbuy for Christmas when you need that after dinner drink!
As well as traditional red port wine there arewhite and pink ports also available. These are usually served cold as anaperitif in the same way that sherry is served but they also make a great basefor a cocktail should you be having that kind of party. Another interestingfact is that when white port is aged for a long time the colour changes sosignificantly due to the tannins in the barrel that it is often hard todistinguish it from the red version.
Port is a great wine to have in the cupboard atChristmas. It is a warming drink that epitomises the season.
