The 4 different types of Port Wine
Port wine is most commonly enjoyed as a dessert wine because its richness.
There are several styles of Port, including red, white, rosé, and an aged style called Tawny Port. While much of the Port we see in the supermarket is of average quality, there are many fine Port wines that are highly treasured and cost several hundred dollars. Let’s get up to speed on this fascinating, historic sweet red wine.
There are several styles of port, but the 2 major styles of Port include a red Port with more berry and chocolate flavors (and slightly less sweetness), and a tawny-colored Port with more caramel and nut flavors (and more sweetness).
Older, fine Tawny Ports have an even wider array of subtle flavors including graphite, green peppercorn, hazelnut, almond, butterscotch, and graham cracker. Look for wines aged for 30 or more years for this level of complexity!
There are many different official categories of Port, but most fall under these 4 categories:
- Ruby (Red) Port: a deeply-colored red Port which includes Vintage, Late-bottled Vintage (LBV), Crusted and Ruby Port
- Tawny Port: a very sweet barrel-aged port with oxidative nut and caramel flavors
- White Port: made with indigenous white grapes including Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio and Malvasia
- Rosé Port: This is a new style of Port wine made like rosé wine with flavors of strawberry, violets and caramel
How to serve Port Wine
Port should be served just below room temperature, around 16 °C (60 °F). A popular way to serve Ruby Port in the summer (with a meal) is on the rocks with a peel of lime!
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