Port Call

Dessert wines in general, and Port in particular, are often under-appreciated. Maybe we're all too busy to savor a glass after a nice meal, but we ought to re-think that. Port, and other dessert wines, have been around for centuries, so we could benefit from a Port Appreciation Day.

Port traces its roots back to the 17th century. The legend is that two wine merchants in the seventeenth century were exploring Portugal’s Douro valley and discovered the Abbot of a Lamego monastery adding grape spirit to his wine early on in its fermentation to preserve its sweetness.

They decided to use this method of ‘fortification’ to preserve their wines for the long sea journey back to England. This wine took its name from the city where these traders had their base: Oporto (Porto), from where it is to this day shipped to the world.

Port is still produced in this way, by intentionally interrupting the fermentation of the grape must (or juice) by the addition of a clear grape spirit called aguardente, generally referred to as ‘brandy’. This preserves a large amount of the grapes’ natural sugars, thereby giving Port its characteristic sweetness and richness. Today's featured New Product, Graham's Vintage 2000 Port, has a 20% ABV, rather than the 12% or so that is common to red table wines.

The mountainous Upper Douro region of Northern Portugal became the world’s first officially demarcated wine region in 1756. This protected region is the only place in the world that can produce authentic Port, just like authentic Champagne only comes from Champagne, France.

All of Graham’s wines are aged beneath the riga pine beams of the earth-floored Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia, which has stored Graham’s wines since it was built in 1890. Located at the estuary of the Douro River and cooled by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean Graham’s 1890 Lodge is crucial to the slow and balanced evolution of Graham’s wines.

The character of any glass of Port is in large part determined by the way in which it has been aged. Port styles can be divided between those aged in bottle and those aged in wood, whether small oak casks or large vats. Port is always aged in seasoned casks, unlike dry wine, which uses new wood. (An aside for our Scotch drinkers; check your favorite labels to see which are finished in ex-Port casks.)

Vintage Ports spend only about 18 months in wooden vats before they are bottled. Once bottled, they have no further contact with air and therefore there is only slow change in the color of the wine: the structure, complexity and character of the wine changes slowly with time. Port wine ages more slowly in bottle than in barrel.

In contrast, Tawny Ports are aged in contact with oxygen, which permeates the oak of the barrels. The color thus changes, from the original deep purple-red of the young wine to lovely tawny shades. Depending on the length of time spent in barrel, Aged Tawny Port ranges in color from the cedar-red of a 10 Years Old, to the deeper amber of the 40 Years Old.

At Joe Canal's, we have a dazzling selection of Ports, as well as other dessert wines. We also have team members ready and able to discuss the choices with you. Start your own Port exploration today!