Port Beginnings - How to taste port

Image from wikipedia

Inspired by my husband (aka The Baron) and his appreciation for whisky, I decided to take more interest (other than just drinking it) in my old school favourite – port. I thought that this would be an exciting and liberating experience. However, I only came to discover that there was, is, very little to show in regards to the appreciation of port on that big cloud of information out there. Yes there is information on the history, and there are notes on what some ports should taste like by the companies producing them, and there are even some blogs out there… But really, it was not enough for the port enthusiast I have become.

Disappointed by the whole 'research' experience, I turned to my Husband and said "I want to start my own blog on PORT!" So here I am. It should also be noted we girls of Married To The Whisky Club have in past also spoken about doing our own tasting nights outside of The Distant Thunder Whisky Club meetings, and I think this is a good start to that.

Given this is the first, of hopefully many port reviews to come, I am compelled to start right at the beginning. That's right we all remember our first drink and I certainly remember my first port.

It started off not long after I turned 18, when I went to the Hunter Valley with my parents as the "designated" driver. We had only just started the wine tasting at McGuigan's winery, when they brought out a tawny port – Brian Mcguigan `Personal Reserve`. I asked if I could take a sip of this to try, as I had never had port before. My father (aka The Grey Bush) begrudgingly approved. I remember that one particular sip to be so flavoursome. The subtle smooth flavour was a pleasure to sip, each and every time. Consequently I ended up buying a bottle (or 2) of this particular port. From this point on, I was no longer the designated driver and as we passed from winery to winery, where the wines were happily filtered to my mother, the ports of course were merrily poured out to me. Needless to say my father was not happy now being the designated driver.

In the years gone by, I have tasted a many a port and I have repeatedly purchased the Brian Mcguigan `Personal Reserve`. However apart from that lingering memory of my first taste, I do not really remember the flavours nor the finish. I guess now that I am taking note of my appreciation for port, I am going to have to re-test each and every drop all over again. Something I am looking forward to.

Before reviewing a port I felt it was important to start off with some basic information.

What is Port?

• Port originated in Portugal's Douro Valley. 
• It is a fortified wine. Brandy (see notes on Brandy at the end of this post) was poured into wine to fortify it for long journeys at sea and eventually came to be known as port. It was the alcohol in Brandy that preserved the wine.
• It has been used for therapeutic purposes (I like the idea of this, although it was used for Gout of all things) and
• There are 2 specific ways port is aged –

1. In the Barrel and 
2.  In the Bottle.

But…

How to taste port?

Nowhere does it really give me the specifics for tasting port. Anytime I tried to get any kind of information, I was taken back to wine as the central focus. Now I am a lover of wine too, don't get me wrong, but I feel that port should have its own category of tasting techniques and not just settle under the branches of wine – Even if some or all of the techniques are the same. So given the lack of content out there regarding this matter, I can only assume that, yes, the similar principles of wine do apply to port given it is a bi-product of it.

One of these similar principles would be the wine aroma wheel. This wheel breaks down the aromas into 12 general categories which are:

• Chemical 
• Pungent 
• Oxidised  
• Microbiological 
• Floral 
• Spicy  
• Fruity 
• Vegetative  
• Nutty 
• Caramel
• Woody  
• Earthy 

Aroma Wheel

And then these categories are broken down again to more specific terminologies. This wheel is designed to help novices express what they are sensing, and since I am a novice, I think it appropriate to use this wheel as a loose starting guide.

So now that we have a wheel to assist us in expressing our sensory experience, lets take a closer look at the principles & techniques of tasting in a bit more detail… and what I now like to call… "The PORT Experience".

The Port Experience

The Glass –

Many say that the port glass should be in a smaller version of a wine glass, sherry glass, snifters, or that it depends on the time of day and whether it is with or after your meal. I feel that port should be poured, served in a snifter glass OR alike. This is generally a short stemmed glass with the cup wide in the bottom and narrow at the top (but not too narrow). The narrow top should allow a suitable amount of air into the glass to enhance the aroma.

The Serve –

Etiquette suggest port should not be poured over the half way mark (of a sifter glass).

It generally is served at room temperature, however some ports can be served moderately chilled. These ports include some of the Tawny's. Generally you would place the bottle in the fridge 45 to 60 minutes prior to serving.

Decanting port is not required unless it is a vintage port. You only decant once the sediment has settled to the bottom of the bottle. This means having the bottle standing upright for at least 1 day. If you are pouring the port into a decanter, stop pouring when the sediment appears.

The Colour –

In Ports case, colour indicates its age and fruitiness. The longer the port is aged, especially in the wooden barrels, the more the colour changes from a deep purple, ruby red with "fruitiness", to an orange amber colour of "less Fruity" tones. The particular grapes used from the wines are indicative of the colour and fruitiness of the port also.

The Swirl –

One would only assume that the swirl in wine or whiskey is the same for port. The idea behind swirling, is to increase the exposure of the liquid to the air, enhancing the aromas. When you swirl the liquid around note how quickly or slowly the liquid forms on the inside of the glass. This is also referred to as the "Legs". The liquid or "Legs" that appear slowly indicate either the presence of sugar or that it has a higher amount of alcohol.

The Smell –

This part always follows the swirling of the glass. Always do a slow steady inhale immediately after the swirl. I like to do this in 2 parts. Firstly – note your immediate thoughts of what you smell. Do not stop to think what the flavours are or what it reminds you of, this is your immediate reaction to it. Secondly – After waiting a little for the previous smells to leave your nose, repeat the process but this time think about it. Take your time to analyse and really reflect on the aromas and flavours.

The Taste –

My favourite part! The best way to taste port is to swirl it around all parts of the tongue, right into the back of your throat but without swallowing. Allow some air to flow through whilst doing this in order for the taste to be heightened.

The Finish – 

This refers to the flavour, the after effect you get from swallowing the port. In the case of wine – the longer the flavour lingers the better quality the wine is. Whether this is true to port I am yet to discover. The result of "The Finish" will generally be different to the result of "The Taste."

The Savour – 

That's right, now that you have gone through and experienced the flavours, aromas and the finish… it is now time to "savour" the port experience. Sit back and enjoy each and every sip.

So please – Join me next time, as we share in "The PORT Experience"

Na zdrowie!

Two Fingers

Notes about Brandy: Brandy is distilled wine hence why it was the perfect marriage with wine for preserving purposes. Cognac for lack of better words is a higher grade of Brandy distilled in France in the region known as Cognac. Brandy / Cognac is distilled in a similar manner as Whisky using a similar but smaller sized still.