| Try port in the midst of winter storms |
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| Wednesday, 04 February 2009 06:27 | |||
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Cold weather calls for red wine, which in recent weeks we have been serving copiously with chilis and stews. But lately we also have been thinking about ports and brandies. A stiff pour of cognac can ward away the chills and even soothe a sore throat. And sipping a glass of port in front of a roaring fire is just the escape from reality you probably need right now.
These two items are quintessential winter drinks that are often overlooked because of fears that they are too alcoholic. There’s no question that these are heady drinks and that consumers need to cautious, especially since they are often consumed after a dinner of food and wine. However, ports can be savored sip by sip. We like to buy our port in half-bottles because it is a rare occasion when we have the crowd to finish a full bottle. Although many will disagree, port — unlike brandy — tends to deteriorate in a few days. The traditional method of making port takes place in long lagares — 3-foot-high stone tanks — where grapes are trodden by human feet for two hours. Today, mechanized methods have taken over the soft crush of most port. After the crush, the grapes are fermented 36 to 48 hours until about half of the natural sugar remains. The juice is then given a shot of grape spirits similar to brandy, which arrests the fermentation process and fortifies the wine. The combination gives port its sweet, grapey flavors but with an alcohol content of about 20 percent. Port is made from grapes that are hardly recognizable in this country. Ever hear of touriga nacional, tinta barroca or tinto cao? Probably not, but in recent years Portugal has used these grapes to make some pretty decent unfortified wine too. There are several styles of port aged in either the bottle or wooden casks, and not always is the distinction clear to consumers. Ruby is the most simple — we use it in reduction sauces. Tawny, a more elegant and lighter port, suggests the wine has been aged in wood so long it loses its deep red color, but over the years the wood aging has lost its meaning. Most likely, the pale color of tawny comes from the vinification process. Tawnies are traditionally aged in oak for 10, 20 or 30 years, but are a blend of years to make the distinction even more unclear. Vintage port is the most expensive, but many will argue their value is overblown. Made only in good years and from a single vintage, they can age for decades. We tasted one from 1977 just recently and it was spectacular. We have been seeing more colheitas — tawny ports made from one year’s grapes — on the market in recent years. Finally, late-bottled vintage port comes from a single vintage but not bottled for 4 to 6 years. They are filtered to remove the sediment. Some argue that process strips away some of the flavor. It’s all very confusing for the unfamiliar. The best way to enjoy port is to try both a vintage port and a 10-year-old tawny. Their cost isn’t exceptionally high and you can readily taste the difference in style. Our recommendation for an introductory port is Graham’s Six Grapes.
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