I have a confession; I’m a portaholic. This deliciously thick, sweet, sultry wine is really quite addicting. Those who don’t understand might pretentiously turn up their noses and suck down more cabernet, but port deserves some attention. It’s a wine for all seasons and occasions — winter or summer, appetizer or dessert. Any season, try it with some blue cheese as an appetizer or as dessert all alone. And a bottle of port, once opened, stays fresh for up to a year, making it perfect for spontaneous consumption.
And, hey, it impresses your friends.
Port (or Porto in Portuguese) originally sprang from Portugal in the 18th century, when the modern-day “fortified” version was born. It’s made from red or white wine whose fermentation has been halted with the addition of a neutral spirit such as brandy. Stopping the alcohol-producing process leaves the natural sugar unfermented, so a sweeter, higher-alcohol wine remains. But watch out, the high alcohol content can knock you on your butt — port is normally between 18-20 percent alcohol, rivaling regular table wine at 11-13 percent.
There are several styles, but four main varieties of red port. Ruby port tastes fruity, light and young, and is the simplest of the four. But the fruit-forward sweetness can overwhelm the uninitiated, so it’s safer to wade in with a smoother tawny. Tawny is amber in color, velvety and easier to drink. They are mellower because the initially tannic wine softens for up to 40 years in oak barrels. Unlike vintage-dated ports, both tawny and ruby ports are blends from several years so they’re not tagged with a year. Tawnies, however, have a 10, 20, 30 or 40-year designate on them, indicating how much time it spent in barrel. Keep in mind that the higher price you pay for a 30- or 40-year tawny is rarely worth the extra bucks.
Vintage port, on the other hand, is produced from a single year’s worth of grapes. Smooth, full of fruit flavor and aromatic, this is the prime stuff wine snobs rant and rave about. Vintages are “declared” by the winemaker when the harvest is particularly notable, and this occurs only once or twice in a decade. Vintage port normally averages only 3 percent of port production, and its cost reflects that. If you’re choosing a vintage port, try to find one that is at least 10-15 years old. Younger than that, the port will be loaded with tannin that dries out your tongue. The fourth variety of port is late-bottled vintage (LBV), created from a vintage declared crop, but aged twice as long in oak barrels.
Although winemakers from all over the globe are catching the port wave, Portugal still reigns as the port country of choice. Revered Portuguese port houses are Warre, Taylor, Cockburn, Sandeman, Fonseca, Dow, and Graham. The “best” recent vintage years — meaning the grapes and the weather fully cooperated that year — are 1977, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995. Prices can be steep on the vintage years, but stick with the above names and you can’t go wrong.
In the US and Australia, port production is growing but still somewhat limited. Kick back on the couch, try some of these domestic and imported ports and uncover the mystery behind the funky labels.
Ficklin Vineyards California Port This comes from a family-owned port house in California. Wonderfully smooth, tawny-like fruity flavor. Absolutely fabulous stuff. No matter what you buy from Ficklin, it’s great. $14. 
Benjamin Port An incredible value in an Australian tawny port. Delicious, but not as smooth as others. Get ready for the one-two flavor punch. $10
Martinez 10-Year Tawny Port True Portuguese tawny port, its sweet flavor warms the tummy and satisfies the tastebuds. This port house, a member of the Cockburn Smithes port group, was founded in 1790 in Oporto, Portugal. 1/2
Dow’s Boardroom Premium Tawny Deliciously smooth, raisin-y fruitiness. Light n’ easy sipping, and a phenomenal value for a true Portuguese port. $20
THE WINE LIST
CAROLINA WINE CLUB CLASSES Morning classes run from 10-11:30am. Evening classes run from 6:30-8pm. All classes are held at the Mint Museum of Craft + Design. Sessions include: Wine and Cheese Pairings for Everyday and Special Occasions, French vs. American Wines: A Comparison, Exploring Dessert Wines and Ports, The Three faces of Pinot; Noir, Gris and Blanc. Cost is $100 for all four sessions or $30 per individual session. For more information or to make reservations call 704-344-8027.
LATORRE’S 118 West 5th St. Offers Wine Tastings every Wednesday at 6:30pm. For more information contact the restaurant at 704-377-4448.
TONIC 1427 E. 4th St. has free wine tastings every Wednesday. The evening begins at 8:30pm and runs till 2am. Entry and tastes are free. This week try wines from the Dopff & Irion Winery, including their Crustaces, Tokay Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer. For more information, call 704-347-2582 after 8pm or visit www.withtonic.com.
WINE TASTINGS AT REID’S 7TH ST. WINE SHOP Every Wednesday night at the Wine Bar from 5:30-7:30pm, very informal. Three wines will be tasted each week. Cost is $10 per person. Call 704-513-7014.
Wine tastings, classes, or other wine-related events will be listed at the discretion of the editors. Send information to Creative Loafing one of three ways: Fax to 704-944-3605; email to molly.mckinney@cln.com; or by regular mail at 6112 Old Pineville Rd. Charlotte, NC 28217. All events must be received at least two weeks in advance.*
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2001.
