Married To The Whisky Club

Distant Thunder Whisky Club Feature Article

2012-01-30T20:23:00.001+11:00

Image from Beer and Brewer Magazine Website

Be sure to check out the Beer and Brewer Magazine Issue 20 Autumn 2012. It has a special article featuring our very own 'Distant Thunder Whisky Club'.

Three Fish

2012-01-27T14:25:00.002+11:00

Over the past months I have admired many pieces of art – saying stuff like ‘Oh my gosh - that looks so hard to paint” & “No one paints on walls & ceilings like Michelangelo does”. I have also painted pieces which I’m not proud of and have started to educate myself more about painting – mainly from books that I have borrowed from the library - eventually I do want to take an art class ! … but until then I will continue my personal research (e.g. trial & error).

I borrowed a book called “Acrylics workshop” by Phyllis McDowell, DK Publishing from the new Chatswood library. I examined the various techniques in this book - including how certain objects are sketched from different perspectives and how colors are used to build depth etc.. I found this book quite good as it is SIMPLE to follow and the paintings illustrated are great for practicing with ……. So I copied one of the artwork illustrated in this book and this is how it turned out:

Three Fish

Note that I used acrylic paint in “Three Fish” but the original artwork was painted in watercolor.

“Three Fish” is a bit different to my other practice pieces as I have been painting a lot of abstract stuff - generally I have been mucking around with new paint colors & brushes. I guess I got a little bit more serious with this one as I wanted to follow stricter painting rules e.g. which brush to use to give what result, use of glazing technique. I also focus hard on developing the form of the individual carps to make it resemble the original painting.

Overview of how I choose to paint “Three Fish”:

• Painted background
• Lightly sketched carp shape
• Painted bottom left fish
• Painted right fish
• Painted top left fish

I showed the painting to 3 different people and asked them which fish they preferred most and funny enough they all like different ones!

One more thing… “1001 paintings you must see before you die” by Stephen Farthing, is a great book to flip through. It’s like a painting dictionary! I wish it only came in A3 size??

The Spinner

Sparkling for More

2011-10-25T20:37:00.003+11:00

One of the members of the "Married to the Whisky club" organised a "Sparkly Afternoon" get together over the weekend. It was naturally a success and we all had a wonderful time. So a BIG THANK YOU to "The Spinner" for organising it all.

The afternoon consisted of us ladies being dropped off by our other halves and of course a few OR MORE glasses of Sparkly, Chatting, Sunshine and the best part Relaxation and just Enjoying each other’s company.

The 2 Sparkling Wines/Champagne of note – that we had generous samplings of, were the "Yellow Glen Perle" and the "Bollinger Special Cuvée". Fantastic wines, but I will come back to these a little later on.

Coincidentally prior to our sparkly get together, Dan Murphy's was having another one of their workshops for none other than Sparkling Wines & Champagne. I have to tell you I was extremely excited that this was to take place literally the day before. The reason I was so excited was probably because I have drunk Sparkling Wines/Champagne on occasions however I had never really taken an interest in the nose, flavours, finish and so on.

During the course of the Dan Murphy's workshop, The workshop leader (Mr M for blog purposes), who might I add is just fantastic, took us through the wines one by one and unleashed lots of valuable information about each and every one. But before I unveil some of Mr M's helpful tips and knowledge, I thought it best to clarify a few things that I had been confused about.

What is Sparkling Wine?
This is generally a wine that has large levels of Carbon Dioxide creating the bubbly effect. This can be made from natural fermentation in the bottle, tank or through injecting Carbon Dioxide into the wine. Sparkling Wines are predominantly white but they also have Sparkling Rose's and Red's which all vary from dry to sweet. The varieties that indicate whether the sparkling wine is sweet or dry are as follows:

• Brut – Means it is dry, however there is little to no sweetness
• Extra Brut - is as it suggests, it means it is extra dry. That is dryer than the Brut.
• Extra dry – Is the middle range of dry and are generally just a bit sweeter than brut wines.
• Sweet or Demi-Sec – Is basically your sweet to medium sweet range.
• Dry or Sec – Means it is dry

Sparkling Wines also come in Vintage or Non-Vintage. This, as with most wines, ports etc. simply means that the grapes used come from a single year or are the blend of multiple different years.

But what is the difference between Sparkling Wines and Champagne?
Apart from the fact that only the wines that are produced from grapes within the Champagne Region in France can be labelled "Champagne", there is no difference. Basically it all boils down to the region & country it is produced in.

I was very curious as to whether one would sample Sparkling Wine in the same way you would for normal wines? That is the "swirl, the smell, the taste, the finish" and so on. The answer is yes you do. However there are a few other facts which are important to selecting a good Sparkling and Champagne and thanks to the Dan Murphy's workshop I can pass the knowledge I learnt from them onto you.

So here are some things to look out for when you are purchasing or sampling a Sparkling Wine or a Champagne:

• The optimum temperature for serving and sampling Sparkling is at 11.5ºC. However in the end the ideal temperature boils down really to how you the individual enjoys drinking it.
• The warmer you serve sparkling the more enhanced the flavours of the fruit and so on become.
• Sparkling wines are the hardest to define what flavours are within. This is due to the amount of acid in the wine.
• The white mousse (or the foamy bubbles as I like to call it) around the glasses edge indicates the quality of the wine.
• The smaller the bubbles are and the more in the line also indicates the quality of the wine.
• It is best to pop the cork slowly as opposed to the fun alternative of letting the cork fly into the air. Apart from wasting good wine when it overflows from the top, it also means you minimise the chance of the bubbles going flat.
• Ensure your glass is exceptionally clean as a dirty glass can flatten the sparkling also.
• The best way to chill a wine (semi fast) is to wrap a wet towel around the bottle and place it into the freezer for a while.

So now that I have a bit more of an understanding about Sparkling Wines I would like to share My Sparkling Wine Experience.

Image from Dan Murphy's website

Yellowglen Perle

Vintage: Non Vintage
Brand: Yellowglen
Region: Australia
Size: 750ml bottle
Alcohol/volume: 12.0%
Retails Currently: $18.80AUD

This sparkling is quite soft and fruity. It is pale in colouring with a hint of strawberry on the palette. It finishes nicely with a lemon, citrus tang. Overall this was really enjoyable to drink. It did not have the sulpher or overpowering carbonated/bubbly effect of some sparklings.

Image from Dan Murphy's website

Bollinger Special Cuvée
Brand Name: Bollinger
Varietal: Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier
Vintage: Non Vintage
Region: Champagne France
Size: 750ml bottle
Alcohol/volume: 12.0%
Retails Currently: $74.99AUD

This Champagne is pale gold in colouring. It is dry and acidic with toast like flavours. It has a lot more complexity than the Yellowglen however I found it difficult to identify any fruity flavours within it. This is no fault of the wines, merely my lack of experience in wine appreciation. The mousse was very thick. Overall though this was enjoyable to drink. It is one to definitely save for that special occasion.

So please – Join me next time, as we share in "The Experience" – Na zdrowie!
Two fingers

Dislike to Like – Niepoort Ruby Port

2011-09-19T17:11:00.002+10:00

To date I have only reviewed Australian ports. However my next port, 'Niepoort Ruby' is from Portugal – Ports Origin.

Niepoort is located in the center of Vila Nova de Gaia. The vineyard has been divided into two locations for Harvest. Quinta de Nápoles where they produced the still wines and Vale de mendiz where they produce the port wines.

Quinta de Napoles was purchased by Niepoort in 1987. The Quinta includes nearly 30ha of vineyard. The vines are at an altitude of 180-250m and the age varies between 18 and more than 70 years. Located at the left margin of the Têdo river, this is where Niepoort makes their red, white and rosé wines. The former museum in Vale Mendiz was purchased by Niepoort in 2003 and converted to a vinification center for the Niepoort port wines.

Under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labelled as Port or Porto. Elsewhere, the situation is more complicated: wines labelled "Port" may come from anywhere in the world, while the names "Dão", "Oporto", "Porto", and "Vinho do Porto" have been recognised as foreign, non-generic names for wines originating in Portugal.

What is Ruby Port?

Ruby Port is classified as the entry level for port, however this does not necessarily mean it is the cheap off cuts. Ruby port is made from a select few grapes which give the Ruby Port its red colour. These grapes include Toriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Tinto Barrocca and Toriga Francesca. It is aged in bulk for 2 to 3 years using a blend of grapes from varying vintages and is bottled 'young'.

After fermentation, it is stored to prevent the oxidisation process from occurring and to preserve its rich red colour. Often the wine will be blended to match the style of the brand to which it will be sold. The wine is fined and cold filtered before bottling and does not generally improve with age. For this reason it is best to consume immediately.

The Niepoort Ruby Port wine originates from low yielding old vineyards in the Cima Corgo Region of the Douro Valley. The grapes are predominantly trodden in Lagares, prior to ageing in large wooden vats at their lodges in Gaia and bottled with an average age of 3 years.

The PORT Experience

of Niepoort Ruby

Produced: Niepoort (Vinhos) S.A.

Region: Douro

Soil Type: Schist

Vines: Cima Corgo

Average Vine Age: Over 30 years

Cast Varieties: Touriga Nacional,Touriga Franca,Tinto Cão,Tinta Francisca,Tinta Amarela, Sousão, Tinta Roriz and others

Vines per Ha: 4000 - 6000

Way of Harvest: Hand picked

Fermentation: Lagares/Foot Treading

Ageing: Large old oak casks

Residual Sugar: 102,3 g/ L

Baumé: 3,6

PH: 3,66

Total Acidity: 4,13 g/L Tartaric Acid

Size: 750ml bottle

Alcohol/volume: 20%

Closure: Cork

Retails Currently: $32.99AUD

I was very excited to have been given this Port and could barely wait to open it and explore the flavours within. Coming from a design background, I had often admired the dark bottle contrasting against the soft scripted logo and only hoped that one day soon I would get the opportunity to try this port... And I did.

However I must confess, I was not impressed with this Port to begin with. In fact I disliked it so much that I cringed at the thought of drinking it. This may have been due to the fact I lack the tasting experience of a variety of Ports especially quality ones or it may have been something else entirely. I found it had lacked the sweetness that was contained in most of the ports I previously tasted and that it was quite overpowering on the palette. It resembled more of a young wine than Port – Well what I had identified the flavours of a Port to be. I know that sounds ridiculous, but in the end it basically boiled down to the fact that I was expecting something different. I continued to persist on drinking the Port as unpleasurable as it was for me, waste not want not I always say, only to soon discover I had come to embrace the flavour.

How did this happen? I had sat down and commenced telling my father how this port was too intense for my Palette, poured him (and myself of course) two-fingers worth into a glass and we began to sample the port. To my surprise I found the Port drinkable, bearable and quite nice. Curious as to how my opinion could change so dramatically overnight, I soon came to realise that the coffee I had just consumed altered the flavour to a more pleasant and enjoyable one. From this day on with or without coffee I had experienced the flavours in a whole new light. Amazingly enough, all that was required was a mind change and the flavours having been altered by the coffee did just that.

The Niepoort Ruby is Dark Red in colour with light aromas of spice and dark fruits. The flavours are rich in cherries and blackberries and is quite smooth like a wine. The finish follows through smoothly from the front of the palette to sit at the back for a brief period of time.

What I got out of this tasting experience is that if you find you do not like something once, twice or even more try and try again. Do not stick to the same routine or foods, try and experiment a little. Cheese, chocolate and coffee are just some foods and flavours that can help neutralise or enhance flavours.

The worst that can happen is that you still dislike the flavour, the best that can happen as it was for me here, is that you will enjoy and embrace in the new found flavours you've just experienced.

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

Na zdrowie!

Two Fingers

Beginning To Paint

2011-05-23T13:47:00.000+10:00

I have decided to do a bit of painting – this came to me while I was watching the movie “Never Let Me Go”. I have completed my first painting and I wish to share this painting and experience. I chose to start painting with Acrylics – as I’ve read it’s easy to use and if I wanted to I could add some water and do some watercolour painting as well … that’s if I get awesome.

So last week I went to eckersley’s in North Sydney and brought some real BASIC acrylic painting materials (see Note 1) to get me started:

1. acrylic painting pad, A4 size

2. pack of 5 acrylic paint tubs (with a bonus no. 2 paint brush!) (see Note 2)

3. set of assorted acrylic brushes

4. basic palette, and

5. a couple of painting knives

I didn’t want to purchase anything more hardcore than what I did at this stage, as I’m hoping to get familiar with the vast amount of art materials that is available out there so I can source them .…. online.

So this is how my first painting looks like:

Blended Dolphins (see Note 3)

With the help of the ‘Colour Mixing Guide’ - I wanted to use this piece to try out all the colours I have, so as you can see, this painting has all the basic colours in it! I blended different colours together, creating dark and light sections using different strokes to develop a sense of what I like. I found I enjoyed painting with long strokes and blotches with my brush. I like creating different shades of colours to try and produce varying levels of depth. The black and white colours alone really stood out in my painting, which I am fond of, but since I’m unable to control how I work with my colours at this stage, I am going to use these two colours in moderation.

I will definitely be painting more in the coming weeks. I am hoping to do paint on canvas in a couple of months.

The Spinner

Note 1: All the painting materials that I bought were made by Reeves.

Note 2:This colour pack contains all the primary colours I needed to get started – Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Phthalo Blue, Brilliant Red and Mars Black.

Note 3: Naming a painting is interesting, almost like naming your child.

Worthy Contender – Orlando Liqueur Tawny

2011-05-16T11:51:00.000+10:00

It was Easter and instead of getting eggs from the Easter Bunny I asked if I could get a port instead. So thankfully the Easter Bunny and I came to an arrangement, which was for me to select the port of choice around the $10AUD mark. I selected the Orlando Liqueur Tawny as I had seen it sitting on the shelf many times before and conveniently it was one I had not tried as yet.

Unfortunately, not much can be said for the information I have found on this port. In comparison to other ports there is little information supporting it, which I found rather disappointing. So I thought I would look into the brand a bit more as I had not really heard of Orlando before. Clearly I had no idea how big they actually are. I found out that the Orlando wines include prominent Australian wine brands such as Jacob’s Creek, Wyndham Estate, Richmond Grove, Morris and Trilogy. Many of which I have enjoyed in the past.

"Orlando Wines can trace its origin to the very beginning of winemaling in Australia with two wine industry pioneers George Wyndham (1828) and Johann Gramp (1847), founder of Orlando Wines. Our wines today express more than 150 years of winemaking expertise and passion shared throughout the organisation." Stephen Couche, Orlando Wines, Brand Sites and Visitation Director

So I set out to enjoy my port, But first I needed to determine...

What do they mean by Liqueur when referring to port?

To begin with a liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavoured with natural ingredients such as fruits, herbs, nuts, spices or flowers and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are commonly quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavours to combine. Under European Union legislation, a liqueur wine is a fortified wine that contains no less than 17.5% alcohol by volume. More often than not it is recommend that you drink liqueurs after a meal.

The PORT Experience

Orlando Liqueur Tawny

Region: Barossa Valley, Rowland Flat South Australia

Size: 750ml bottle

Alcohol/volume: 17.5%

Retails Currently: $13AUD

I found this to be quite a nice drop. It shows off a rich ruby red colour when poured into the glass. I noted a sweet aroma, however it was not overpowering. The more I observed the aromas I got sweet fruit, perhaps cherries, raisins and oddly enough maple syrup which I also noted after tasting the Port. There is a mild presence of spice which has balanced the sweet fruit flavour quite nicely and has a dry finish. Overall it was quite enjoyable and easy to drink – In the end I must confess I was knocking the glass back as if it was water or soft drink on a hot day. Probably not the best idea but the most important thing is that I enjoyed every last drop.

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

Na zdrowie!

Two fingers

Bitter Sweet Symphony – Yalumba Museum Reserve – Antique Tawny

2011-04-27T17:59:00.008+10:00

I cannot think of anything more enjoyable than sitting down with my family and sharing my port experience with them. And this is exactly what we did. After harassing my parents to come over and share the port experience with me, which they refused, we forced ourselves over to their place and cracked open the port. Sitting around we all shared in a glass, or two of the Yalumba Museum Reserve – Antique Tawny and according to them (and myself of course), the intrusion was definitely worth it.

Before I commenced my review, I was intrigued by the letters "NV" at the end of the ports name. A novice I am, as I had no clue as to what this stood for.

Upon some research I soon discovered that the "NV" stood for "Non-Vintage" Essentially this classification is given to ports and wines that use a blend of grapes from 2 or more years.

So how does this differ to Vintage port?

Vintage ports are made up with a blend of grapes only from the one, single specified year.

What is the difference then between Non-Vintage, Vintage and Tawny ports?

Non-Vintage and Vintage ports are matured in the bottles. They start out for 12-18

months in Wood / Oak barrels and then are left to develop in the bottle. They can be left to mature in their bottles for 20 or more years. Tawny Ports however, are ready to drink once they are bottled and are generally a blend of several years as opposed to the one or two years as mentioned above.

This does not mean that one is better than the other, it just simply means you get varying flavours and styles. As the old saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover" well in this case, 'Don't judge a port by its classification', at least until you've tried it…

The PORT Experience

Yalumba Museum Reserve – Antique Tawny

Vintage: NV

Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia

Wine Maker: David Zimmermann

Oak Treatment: Over 15 years in French Oak Hogsheads

Size: 375ml bottle

Alcohol/volume: 19.0%

Retails Currently: $18AUD

Yalumba Museum Reserve – Antique Tawny is quite dark, deep in colour and when held against the light appears thick as only the edges are highlighted in a red hue. You can taste the woodiness of oak along with hints of dried fruit and a mild spice. The silky texture of the port makes the finish of mild bitterness all the more pleasurable. This bitterness however is used to balance out the sweetness.

Surprisingly I discovered that Australia has a very good, high reputation for producing excellent non-vintage ports. And I have to say after trying this port I would have to agree. Overall the Yalumba Museum Reserve – Antique Tawny is a silky, smooth and very pleasing drop and I highly recommend this to anyone.

However – if you plan on going out to purchase this Antique Port, do not be thrown by the label which refers to it as a dessert wine. It is not excessively sweet, the balance of sweetness for a lack of a better word is, perfect.

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

Na zdrowie!

Two fingers

Roast Rack of Pork – The Main Tips For Your Rack To Be Awesome

2011-04-27T13:22:00.009+10:00

This is my first blog attempt for the Whisky Wives, so I’m going out on a limb here in terms of content. I had this photo on my camera and it reminded me of this dish, so I thought I would share it with you.

I’m a big fan of roasts and with autumn in full swing (brrrrr) this type of meal is perfect at keeping you warm, toastie and giving you rosy cheeks of joy. I have tried roasting pork loin before as well, but I find the rack far easier and more successful. I actually learnt how to make it watching Gary Rhodes of all people (UK chef) on some cooking show.

Here are the main tips for your rack to be awesome:

Pick your rack from the butcher carefully – it needs to have a good thick layer of fat on top. Don’t go for any lean/healthy option here, otherwise you’ll have crap cracking, which defeats the point of having roast pork.
Use a roasting rack in your roasting pan to keep the pork off the bottom of the pan – this seems to let the hot air circulate better around your pork.
Pre-heat your oven to the highest setting for a good 30 minutes before putting the pork into the oven. This may sound crazy, but you’ll find that with all that fat, it’s almost impossible to dry out this cut of meat (just don’t burn down your house).
Score your rack well – the butcher may have half-heartedly scored it for you, but often this isn’t good enough. Get a sharp knife and score through the fat, but not to the meat itself (a little tricky, but after a few practices you’ll get the hang of it).
Rub sea salt into the scoring/pork – you can use a little olive oil here, but I don’t think it’s essential from memory.
Put the pork into the oven & turn it down to 180c for about 1.5-2 hours, depending on how big your rack is and how good your oven is. The rack will be golden-brown and crisp when finished – juices should be clear.
When done, don’t wrap the rack in foil as you’ll destroy the crackling. But you can just let it rest a little before serving.
Cut the whole piece of crackling off the top of the rack first before slicing up the rack – I have done it the other way (i.e. slicing through the crackling for each slice of meat) and it kills the crackling as well. This way, you can slice up the meat to serve on plates and then divide up the crunchy crackling as you see fit at the end (one incy piece for you and the rest for me – hehehe!

And walah! You have an amazing roast pork to devour. I normally serve this with shredded cabbage cooked in a pan with butter (delicious) and do either red cabbage with grated pear or green/white cabbage with shredded apple. So good.

Penne

It's a Tawny – Chateau Reynella 16 year old Rare Old

2011-04-02T21:12:00.010+11:00

I was long overdue for my next round of port. Completely out of stock, I headed over to the shops in order to get a bottle of port. Not knowing what to select.

Chateau Reynella 16 year old. Rare Old Tawny was recommended to me by a staff member at Dan Murphy's, after spying me standing in front of the port selection for more than 10 minutes. He suggested that many of the staff there, who were not port drinkers, actually found this easy to drink and quite nice. So – I more than willingly took the bait...

But in order for me to truly understand the flavours and aromas of this port I felt it necessary to find out more.

What is Tawny?

If you remember in my first review "Port Beginnings" I mentioned that there are 2 specific ways port is aged –

1. In the barrel and

2. In the bottle

Tawny or Vintage Tawny is a barrel aged port using predominantly red grapes. It is usually aged in oak barrels and during this time, the grapes are gradually exposed to oxygen and allowed to evaporate. This, and the length of time spent in the barrels, which varies from 2 to 7 for tawny and 10, 20, 30, and 40 plus years for your vintage Tawny, is what makes the redness of the grapes turn to a tawny golden brown in colour. They can be sweet, nutty, mellow in flavour while being medium to dry in taste. Tawny Port generally will not improve with age once bottled.

The PORT Experience

Chateau Reynella 16 year old. Rare Old Tawny

Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia

Age: 16 Year Old

Grapes: Shiraz and Grenache

Size: 375ml bottle

Alcohol: 19.5%

On pouring a not so standard sample sized "two fingers" (see notes on Two Fingers at the end of this post) I noted a very strong, perhaps spicy aroma. After some thought though, I get the impression of sweetness and wet oak. It is golden-brown, grape in colour and has a smoothness to it, while also being quite dry. I can see this going well with a christmas pudding as the more sips I take, the more I get a juicy raisin flavour.

The finish is a build up of a mild pungent 'heat' trail with each sip, that lasts for sometime after your last taste. I feel this heat seems to linger more so, than my experience with other ports and tends to leave a mild taste of date on the palette.

The label on the Reynella reads "Smooth, Mellow" & "Displays a distinctive spicy aroma", "Classic rancio flavour leading to a dry nutty finish."

I hope upon each review I will get better at detailing the "Tasting Notes" of each port, but for now I would have to say for a $10 (AUD) port you cannot go too wrong on selecting this one. The taste you will remember from this selection however is definitely its spice.

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

Na zdrowie!

Two fingers

Notes about Two Fingers: "Two Fingers" refers to the amount poured into the glass. This does not follow "etiquette" as mentioned in my previous blog 'Port Beginnings – How to taste port', as it is the amount from your index finger to your pinky regardless of the glass size. I was brought up in the so called tradition of "Two fingers" thanks to my father. (Obviously after being well and truly within the legal drinking age requirements) It is the only way I serve an alcoholic drink!

Port Beginnings - How to taste port

2011-03-29T21:43:00.003+11:00

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 –

In the Barrel and
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.

Origins – Married To Whisky Club

2011-03-29T15:05:00.002+11:00

As you have probably guessed from the name, our partners shared in the appreciation of Whisky – And they felt that they could all benefit from this mutual appreciation by forming a club, now officially recognised and known as "The Distant Thunder Whisky Club".

Every few months when our partners would come together to discuss, drink and share their whisky experiences, while us women, would venture off into the night and share in our interests of movies, books, food, and wine amongst other things.

Consequently feeling excluded from the "manly" club we felt we needed a name of our own. So we soon came to be known as those "Married to Whisky Club". In short we are the women who have happily driven our men around Sydney for their Whisky meetings, endured 2 years of NON-STOP whisky talk, not only in the days leading up to the meetings, but almost every day in between.

For some of us the 'WhiskyCast' Pod Casts and the smell of Peat have become a way of life, but for most I dare say, Whisky has not been our one true love.

As with all club names, you need a club logo and ours is no different. Our logo was designed by one of the Distant Thunder Whisky Club Members, Dave aka 'The Alchemist'. Thanks again Dave.

And now finally after 2 years of siting in the background it has pulled forth and found its home here…

This blog site "Married To The Whisky Club" will continue the traditions of the "The Distant Thunder Whisky Club", however, in our style and with our own passions.

We will no doubt do our partners proud as they, NOW too, can support our "tasting notes, rambles, short stories and the odd cooking recipes".

So welcome and I look forward to sharing in the experiences with you all.

Na zdrowie!

Two Fingers