Port is misunderstood and thats unfortunate.
Evaton is owned by Sogrape renowned port-makersSandemanandFerreiraare also part of the Sogrape family of brands.
One reason for ports limited reputation, according to Xavier, could be its less friendly old-school iterations.
Ferreira/Sandeman/Total Wine
Its going to have all this acidity and brightness that I dont think people expect.
Whether youre a wine drinker or a whiskey lover, port is a nut worth cracking.
What Is Port?
Definition & Types of Port
Port is a fortified wine thats made exclusively in Portugals Douro region.
Fortified means its made by adding distilled grape spirits (like brandy) to wine.
Other fortified wines include sherry, madeira (another Portuguese export), and vermouth.
The three most popular styles of port are ruby, tawny, and white port.
This minimizes oxidative aging and yields bright red, fruity results.
Tawny Port
Tawny ports characterized by a lighter, golden color are aged in wood.
This allows for oxidization that creates a more nutty flavor, and often more dryness than ruby ports.
This is all wrong, according to Xavier.
The first thing is to keep your port in the fridge.
That will also help it last longer, she says.
Second, serve it in a regularwine glass.
Give it the glass it deserves, so you’re able to swallow and get those aromas going.
The ideal temperature for ruby port, says Xavier, is 57 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
White port should be served at about 43 to 50 degrees Farenheit.
Serve tawny ports at 54 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because port is slightly stronger than wine, its also (unbeknownst to some) a cocktail ingredient.
Port can also be served with a meal, in addition to after it.
Cheese, fruit, and other sweeter foods are even easier to pair with port.
You could also put that wine with a little bit of gorgonzola.
The sweetness will play against the cheese.
So its a perfect pairing that goes beyond dessert.
Xavier recommends going with either aclassic rubyor a10-year tawnyto start your journey.
If youre someone who loves a Cabernet, you start with a reserve ruby.
A reserve ruby will have a lot of those red fruits that red wine drinkers like.
It will have a lot of the tannins a lot of the development, she says.
