Wine Wednesday-What is Port Wine

For Wine Wednesday this week, I thought I would take a look at Port Wines.  

What is Port Wine?

Recently I bought a white port at a local vineyard.  It was super sweet and rather tasty.  I found I needed to sip it rather than drinking it the way I enjoy my white wines. This wine lasted me a long time because it takes a while to sip a bottle of port. I later read that if an opened bottle of port is kept in a cool dark place, it can last 4-6 weeks. 

Fast forward many months, and I decided to open another bottle of Port.  Much to my dismay, I did not like it, and it is going down the drain.  My untrained palate could only recognize the overwhelming flavor of almonds, and I did not like it.

Port is a fortified wine. It is sweeter and higher in alcohol content than your standard wines.  It is higher in alcohol because of the added Brandy.  Below is a definition of port wine I found on Leaf TV.

"During fermentation, the producer adds brandy to the wine. The brandy's high alcohol content stops the sugars in the wine from fermenting into alcohol, leaving port with a much higher level of sugar than most other wines. The addition of brandy is what makes port a fortified wine."

leaf.tv

Types of Port according to Wine Folly...

After looking at this chart, I understand why I liked one over the other.  My first port experience was with a white port, and I really enjoyed it.  My second experience was with the tawny port, and I did not like the flavors at all.

The alcohol levels in port are much hight than in your typical wine.  Due to the addition of Brandy, the levels in Port can vary from 19-22% alcohol.  Whereas in regular wine, the alcohol levels can typically range from 5-15%.

It is recommended to serve port in small glasses. The typical serving is 3oz and should be served in a dessert wine glass or an official port wine glass.  I found these on Amazon, and they looked lovely. (I am an Amazon Affiliate, so if you buy anything using my link, I get a small % with no added cost to you)


                                    

Port wine is typically a dessert wine.  Something nice to sip after dinner.  Port can also be served with food.  Visit Unraveling Wine to find the best food pairings for Port.

I hope you now have a better understanding of what Port Wine is. I know I do.

Happy Wine Sipping, Everyone!

KathieyV