As the weather turns cooler, we get more visitors to our Murphys and Clarksburg tasting rooms expressing interest in port. (Really, since the 2006 European Trade Agreement, we can no longer legally call these dessert wines "Port" since they are not made in Portugal. Thus, the new spate of "fanciful names" such as Solomon's Portrait and Rapport, Portoad, Fortissimo, etc.) But we all know what they are...
These ports (sorry, I meant dessert wines) are really popular this time of year because they 1) make great gifts and 2) their sweeter, heavier character (and higher alcohol) make them very warming on cold winter nights.
For those not familiar with the process, ports are made by adding a grape neutral spirit (brandy to many - but nothing like the brandy you'd buy for yourself) to the fermenting wine base. This addition does a couple of primary things: 1) it stops the fermentation, leaving the wine a bit sweeter than table wines, and 2) makes the wine higher in alcohol (generally 18% to 20%). Some of these wines are aged in barrels for many years, slightly oxidize, and take on a tawny brown color as a result. These are the "Tawny Ports." Another style is to age the fortified wine in a closed container. Here the color loss is minimal, the wine stays ruby red and thus are called "Ruby Ports." True ports are made with Portuguese varietals, such as Tinta Madeira, Souzao, Tinta Cao, and Tourga. These grapes grow really well in the Foothills and, as a result, there is an abundance of these dessert wines made with traditional Portuguese grape varietals. In and around our Murphys home, some of these wines based traditional varietals include:
As always, if you'd like to comment on this - or any - of my entries, please contact me at paladin.mod@gmail.com. I respond to all emails and publish those that are deemed appropirate.
Cheers!
These ports (sorry, I meant dessert wines) are really popular this time of year because they 1) make great gifts and 2) their sweeter, heavier character (and higher alcohol) make them very warming on cold winter nights.
For those not familiar with the process, ports are made by adding a grape neutral spirit (brandy to many - but nothing like the brandy you'd buy for yourself) to the fermenting wine base. This addition does a couple of primary things: 1) it stops the fermentation, leaving the wine a bit sweeter than table wines, and 2) makes the wine higher in alcohol (generally 18% to 20%). Some of these wines are aged in barrels for many years, slightly oxidize, and take on a tawny brown color as a result. These are the "Tawny Ports." Another style is to age the fortified wine in a closed container. Here the color loss is minimal, the wine stays ruby red and thus are called "Ruby Ports." True ports are made with Portuguese varietals, such as Tinta Madeira, Souzao, Tinta Cao, and Tourga. These grapes grow really well in the Foothills and, as a result, there is an abundance of these dessert wines made with traditional Portuguese grape varietals. In and around our Murphys home, some of these wines based traditional varietals include:
- Fortissimo from Black Sheep Winery
- Rapport from my own Solomon Winery
- 2004 Vintage Port from Chatom
- Portoad from Frog's Tooth Vineyards
- Indian Rock's Tawny
- Pig Stai from Twisted Oak
- Canterbuy Port from Domaine Becquet (they also do a chocolate version - yum!)
- Brice Station's 2005 Vintage (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot)
- Indian Rock's Ruby (a blend of of Zinfandel, Barbera, and Merlot)
- Milliare's 2004 Vintage Clockspring Vineyard
- Zucca Mountain's Syrah Port
As always, if you'd like to comment on this - or any - of my entries, please contact me at paladin.mod@gmail.com. I respond to all emails and publish those that are deemed appropirate.
Cheers!