What’s more Manly than Port? Can a wine be more manly than another, is there such a thing? Well, let’s start with some language. The Romance Languages in the traditional homeland of wine are Latin based, which use masculine and feminine to identify words. The word “wine” in Latin is “vinum,” French and Romanian “vin,” Portuguese “vinho,” Italian and Spanish “vino.” When using the word “wine” in any of the Romance Languages, you use that language’s grammatical masculine article in front of it, such as in French “le vin,” meaning “the wine,” “le” being the masculine article. Therefore, in the old-world Wine has always been a masculine liquid. Intriguing.
Leveraging an average alcohol content of 20%, it easily man-handles even the most prominent Napa Cab, of which barely compares at 15-16%. That makes Port wine the “strongest” of the wines! Quite manly indeed!
So, what is Port wine? A wine that can sit in your cellar for 50 years or more? Perhaps. Or that inky dark dessert wine that your rich uncle orders at the end of a fancy dinner that appears to have the consistency, and sometimes taste, of balsamic vinegar mixed with maple syrup, all while being surrounded in the aura of sophistication and class. Perhaps you tried it and what greeted your palate was…GROSS…why would you ever pay $18 for four ounces of that! Well, what a shame, you just tasted the bottom of the barrel, and on top of that the restaurant probably charged your uncle four times what it is worth! Definite fail! For most, sadly, that scenario sums up their Port experience. You can do SO MUCH better!
Port wine is easily the least understood of all wines. According to the Port Wine Institute there are two broad categories of Port, then 12 different types within the two categories, and then 10 additional styles within those types. “What?” That’s the most common reaction I get when I teach a Port class. Can you identify how many types of Port are in the picture? No wonder it is so mis-understood, and we haven’t even touched “Port-Style” wine that is made in other parts of the wine world! So what did your uncle order? A Ruby Port of middle-to-lower grade that probably cost around 9-12 Euro in Portugal. It exists. Should anyone buy it? No. I almost universally tell people to not buy Port wine at a restaurant. You are going to pay too much and probably end up with something that shouldn’t be consumed. Yet, Port represents the pinnacle of tradition, the favorite of past Kings, and also a favorite with several of our Founding Fathers, especially Franklin and Jefferson. And that’s the classic image of Port Wine; the King of Wines, an after-dinner wine, a MAN’s wine!
To get some of the best King of Wines you are going to have to spend a little more, but not much more, and in doing so, end up with a vastly better product. Go for a 20 year Tawny, an actual Vintage Port (at least ten years old, or more), or even just one of the decent Reserve Ruby’s. A quick course on Port doesn’t exist, and would take several articles to cover. In the future we will revisit how to pick a fabulous Port that you can pull out at the end of an intimate dinner and wow your guests with. I love Port. I love the intensity, the fortitude, the finish. How it can both hit your palate like a WWF wrestler jumping from the top rope with his elbow extended and then, once landing, dance with the elegance of a beautiful baroness leading to a finish that leaves even the most discerning connoisseurs speechless. Now that’s my kind of wine experience!