Don’t ignore port: This overlooked and underrated wine is waiting to be discovered

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Alas, poor port. Despite being one of the world’s first celebrated styles of wine, few people seem to want to drink it. Whether it’s made to be a complex and refined tawny style or a deep and flavourful ruby expression, these venerable wines are overlooked and underrated.

Times changed and consumers lost the taste for the strong and sweet red wines fortified with brandy, made from a blend of grapes grown in the Upper Douro region of Portugal. A part of the problem is the dizzying array of styles produced — port comes in a variety of colours, with distinctive differences in style, quality and price — that confound the uninitiated.

These versatile spirits are perfect for gifting

Even those who know what to expect from a 10-year-old tawny or a current release of a late-bottled vintage port don’t consume much. I’m a culprit.

In the past year, I have recommended some appealing and concentrated unfortified wines made in the Douro, such as the ripe and intense Crasto 2019 or affordable and appealing Vicente Faria Animus Douro 2019. But I don’t think I have mentioned port since November 2021.

Outside of teaching Wine and Spirits Education Trust lessons or tasting samples for review, I rarely open a bottle of port — or any fortified wine, for that matter. When I do, it’s always around this time of year. Confident in the knowledge that an open bottle of tawny port can be kept for six weeks or longer, I’ll open one in the run-up to Christmas, knowing there will be many occasions where, lingering around the table, myself and others might enjoy a small glass. (With alcohol contents hovering around 20%, port can be sipped with dessert or enjoyed as a digestif.)

Tawny styles of port are aged in wooden casks before being bottled as 10-year-old and 20-year-old expressions, which offer abundant dried fruit, nutty and toffee flavours. (Older styles, notably 30- and 40-year-olds can be found in specialty shops). There are also a range of ruby ports, with deeper and darker colours, that offer younger and fresher dark-fruit flavours. Some producers to watch for include Taylor Fladgate, Graham’s, Noval, Niepoort and Barros.

These classic wines deserve more attention. Consider the festive season, the Winter solstice, or any chance to unwind in front of a roaring fireplace (even if it’s streamed from a television) an opportunity to sip and savour. Be sure to serve slightly chilled, but I wouldn’t worry about having special dessert wine or smaller port glasses on hand. A small (two to three ounces) pour in a white wine glass will flatter the complex aromas and flavours of your port. Remember, the wine will keep fresh in the refrigerator for weeks, so you can revisit it and enjoy the experience again.

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