What is the best Port Wine for a beginner?

I recently had a question about Port Wines via Klout (Edit 27/07/24 Does anyone remember Klout?).#

This was brought to my attention with the arrival of a question from another Klout user in my inbox and this was a surprise to me! I assume that this must be a new feature as I have not had any questions from Klout users before. So I decided to take a few moments to answer what is not a very easy, and what is a very complicated, question. There are complete books on the subject!

So here is the question about Port wine and my brief answer.

A Question about Port Wine

Question: For someone getting into Ports, what’s a good place to start (brands, types, etc.)?

My Answer:

Hello, I don’t know where you are based, I am in the UK, but the brands I am going to mention should be available worldwide.

There are 2 types of Port wine styles – Ruby and Tawny.

The basic difference is that Ruby Ports are bottle-aged and Tawny Ports are barrel-aged. Ruby Ports are redder in colour and tend to show more red fruit character whilst Tawny Ports are browner (i.e. more tawny) in colour and characteristically have nutty, caramel and dried fruit character. So there is your first decision Ruby or Tawny. Or both!

Port Styles

The next step is style. I would probably avoid anything that says Ruby on the label (this is always the Port House’s cheapest Port). It is worth trading up to a LBV, or Late Bottled Vintage, Port. Likewise, avoid a cheap Tawny and look for something that says aged Tawny on the label or maybe trade up to a 10 Year Old. If you do this, we are talking about pretty good quality Ports. After this you might want to explore Single Quinta and Vintage (Ruby) or older (20 or 30 year old Tawny or single vintage Tawny known as Colheita. You will begin to appreciate how the Ports change, improve and develop over time.

Port Brands

Brandwise, look for the big names for consistency and value, names such as Dow, Warre, Graham, Taylor, Fonseca are some of the best. Once you have tried some of these and appreciate the differences in style, quality etc. it is worth seeking out some of the smaller, more boutique producers, who often put a lot more effort in producing and ageing their Ports. Look for names like Niepoort (a personal favourite), Quinta do Vallado, Quinta do Noval, Burmester, Kopke and there are many more.

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