Port wine is traditionally drunk as a dessert wine.
Port is not truly authentic unless it was grown and bottled in the Duoro Valley in Portugal. During their war with France, the English could not drink French wines and had to come up with a substitute. The Duoro Valley was the perfect place to set up new vineyards. In order to help it survive the journey overseas, brandy was added to help it last longer, making it fortified wine.
White Port
White ports can be either dry or sweet depending on how they were stored during the aging process. They are made from a variety of white grapes and aged and fortified. According to Wine Lovers Page, the dry type of port is still new in Portugal and is becoming increasingly popular as an aperitif before dinner. Dry port actually loses its freshness and begins to oxidize the longer it is aged. Sweet port has lost some of its popularity in Portugal though it is more traditional. However, it is a favorite in France and Sweden. Both types of white port are not improved by bottle age.
Red Ports
There are mainly two types of red port: ruby and tawny. Ruby port is the most simple of port wines and is generally the youngest port in a producer's stock. According to wineintro.com, ruby port "should not be aged, and tends to taste of berries." This type of port is ready to drink once it is bottled, and its taste is not improved by bottle aging. The flavor of this port will last reasonably well after opening. Tawny port, as stated on the Wine Lovers Page, is "older, lighter in both body and color, and noticeably drier than rubies." It gets its name from the mahogany color of the wine. Tawny port tends to have a nutty caramel flavor.
Vintage Port
Vintage port is the oldest of all the port wines. It is also considered the high end of ports because all the grapes from a harvest are used to make that wine. According to wineintro.com, "when you buy a vintage port, often YOU must then age it for another 10-30 years before it is at its best drinking flavor." Vintage ports are aged in an oak barrel and then further aged in the bottle to get them to peak flavor. This type of port is generally medium to full-bodied in flavor. Three to four decades of aging is not uncommon for a vintage port.
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