Christmas Port

 

I’m as guilty as anyone in considering Port to be a Christmas tipple and as a significant percentage of yearly sales come about in December, it would appear, that the nation is with me on this one. With its heady, warm, dark fruit and Christmas cake aromas you couldn’t come up with a better drink to match the festive period if you tried. It’s a drink that lends itself to the cooler weather and is ideally consumed beside a warm fire. I never understand people that waste their time warming a pot of cheap red to make terrible mulled wine when you can just open a bottle of 10-year-old Tawny.

 

Ports popularity has come and gone over the decades, but it is a survivor, having been imported into the UK since the late 1600s. There is a worry that the latest assault on UK alcohol duty by the previous chancellor could be a blow too far for the famous Portuguese fortified wine. At 20% abv, a bottle of Port now carries £4.28 in tax, before VAT, in its final price. It’s in the national interest for us all to buy as much Port as possible and do our part in balancing the UK’s financial deficit. You really would be doing your civic duty!

 

This comes after Port wines saw a welcomed, but unexpected jump in sales during the lockdowns. It’s possible some people needed something a little stronger, but this sales bounce has been attributed to two factors. The first, as with lots of other products during lockdown, was that people wanted to indulge and treat themselves during a difficult time. Port was seen as an easily attainable and affordable indulgence. Something a little decadent which brought liquid happiness during a difficult period. Secondly, Port has long been associated with comfort, family and eating together, like Christmas. There were plenty of those moments during lockdown, people and families were together and they didn’t have to worry about driving anywhere the next day.

 

The image of Port as a seasonal cosy family treat is arguably an improvement on its long association with aristocratic gentlemanly behaviour from wind powered nautical times. You’d be forgiven for thinking that to enjoy Port you needed to wear a tuxedo or live Downton Abbey style in a house that had a drawing room to retire too after dinner. The issue with the image of Port is that it has been associated with an occasion rather than a drink that can simply be enjoyed when the urge takes hold. Unless you were in the Navy or at Oxbridge, then Port would probably have passed you by in your younger years. It would sit in your parents’ drinks cabinet between the wildly oxidised Fino Sherry and curdled Advocaat. It’s just not a drink that can be marketed to younger consumers in the way craft beer and natural wine has been. It’s a drink associated with sailors, cigar smoke filled rooms of men and of course gout. Times have changed, except for Christmas, which might be Ports savour.

 

I guess there must be a feeling that if your product has survived over 400 years then you are less concerned with changing times and fashion. One of Ports selling points is its rich history along with the charm and allure that comes with it, the historic names of the Port houses and the iconic labels. For Port to survive another 400 years its maybe up to us to have more family gatherings and create occasions where Port can be warmly enjoyed. It’s also worth understanding a little about the styles of Port in order to get maximum enjoyment from it.

 

Port is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal. The wines begin life in the same way as any other red wine, but during fermentation, before the yeast has consumed all the sugar within the grapes, brandy is added to stop the fermentation. This results in a wine that is slightly sweet (from the left-over natural sugar in the grapes) and higher in alcohol from the addition of Brandy. At its best, Port is a heady and intoxicating drink which warms the soul whilst being one of the world’s most complex and fascinating wines. At its worst, it will strip out your inners…

 

Port does come in several different styles and knowing these will increase your enjoyment!

 

Ruby Port

These are the youngest Ports which are typically aged for 2-3 years in oak barrels before release. They are non-vintage (NV) with barrels from several vintages blended to produce a consistent house style, much like NV Champagne. Most houses produce several styles of Ruby port which differ due to their length of age or vineyards.

 

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)

Vintage Port is aged for two years in oak casks before being bottled for further ageing. Due to a lack of demand in the 1960s, there was a lot of wine left in casks beyond the two years which was put on the market at a cheaper price and called Late Bottled Vintage (LBV). These are now wines made from stated vintages and aged in oak casks for between 4-6 years.

 

LBV’s can be filtered or unfiltered. An unfiltered LBV with contain a large amount of sediment and need decanted. If they contain the term “Bottle Matured” they must have been aged in bottle for a minimum of three years before being released. They will age in bottle for many years and offer wonderful value. Filtered LBV’s are ready to drink on release and the sediment is stripped out through filtration before bottling. Some say that the flavour can also be stripped out. They are generally lighter and more approachable, perfect for younger drinking.

 

Tawny Port

Ports aged for extended periods in oak casks lose their red colour and turn a brownish shade of red (tawny) due to oxidation. Tawny ports will have an age specification on them to indicate how long they have spent in oak barrels. The style will largely be dictated by the time in barrel, but after 10 years the red fruit starts to give way to nuts, spice and classic Christmas cake characteristics.

 

Vintage Port

Vintage Ports are made in the very best years and are the flagship releases from the Port houses made from grapes from their best vineyards. They are aged in oak barrels for two years and then typically need 20 years aging in bottle before the tannins have subsided. They are the best of the best.

 

Single Quinta Ports

Most Port houses own several farms (Quinta’s in Portuguese) and in years where a Vintage Port is not made, they may release a Vintage Port from a single Quinta. These offer superb value and give a snapshot of the different terroirs within the region.

Why not take a look at our selection of Ports HERE