Port out, starboard home – that’s right it’s posh.

~ Meg

And that is apropos of nothing… It’s week 26 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously! This week its port and wow, we’re halfway through the year. Well, that’s depressing…

Eh, I suppose serving port at your dinner party is a posh thing to do. If you are serving it, it comes after the meal and there’s a ritual involved. But first, what is port?

Back in the days of war between Britain and France, the British decided to quit drinking French wines. Nevertheless the thirsty population needed an alternative. Enter wine from Douros, Portugal. The trouble was that in the days of lengthy sea voyages, the wine fared badly. Thus the British had to find a way to make the wine more seaworthy. The answer? Halt the fermentation process part way through and fortify it with brandy! Which then leaves a considerably sweeter and more potent alcoholic beverage.

The port I chose to try was a tawny port. Tawny refers to the light brown, sandy color of the wine – a result of aging in barrels. Food pairings with a tawny port include brie, nuts and dark chocolate. Sounds pretty decadent, right? Also sounds better suited to a cold winter’s night if you ask me… Alas, I’m just following my guide.

The port should be served in a white wine glass. The whole idea of port having a special glass or being served in a brandy snifter is merely a marketing ploy. Oh and I mentioned the ritual…

The port should be opened and transferred to a decanter. The person with the decanter pours their own glass and then passes the decanter to the left. Don’t pour for that person, only for yourself. It’s a big faux pas to pass the bottle the wrong way and to let the decanter sit too long in front of you when your fellow drinkers are waiting to top off their glasses.

My port experience was preferable to that of my experience with sherry. Although sweet and strong, the port made a nice after dinner drink to accompany a bite of dark Belgian chocolate with hazelnuts. Nevertheless the bottle will have to wait for a chilly, rainy day to get opened again!

Go see how my posh friend Lula liked her port…

 

Published by Meg

Easily amused, never bored and constantly distracted. My creative pursuits include writing, drawing, painting and photography.

35 thoughts on “Port out, starboard home – that’s right it’s posh.”

      1. I just had an ice wine the other night. Was clear but sweet. Not sure of the exact name. I’d like to try port. Glad you liked it better.

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      2. Yes! I’ve had ice wine before and liked it. Port is a red wine varying in color depending on the style of port. But as far as sweetness level and the mouth feel I’d say its comparable.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. I’ve only had port a couple of times, and it was paired with chocolate both times. I enjoyed it — but I guess not enough to purchase a bottle. And I agree that it doesn’t quite fit as a summer drink. More for a chilly evening.

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  6. I’ve had some I liked, many moons ago…it made me feel rather like I should be an old man, puffing on a pipe in my smoking jacket. Tasty though, agreed on cold weather being more complimentary! 🙂

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  8. Special pouring ritual? I’m not sure I trust any hooch that can’t be swigged (swug?) straight from the bottle! 😉
    Just kidding – sounds interesting. I will have to give it a try – maybe when the temperature finally drops out of the 90s.

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  9. These posts can be so interesting. Loved reading about the historical aspect and how the Brits found their own little solution. I have heard of port but never had the opportunity to try it. Never imagined there is special pouring ritual for it.

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