Jackson Free Press

It's sweet. It's strong. It's intimidating. It's port. I can imagine that for most people, looking at a port list in a restaurant is the equivalent of attempting to read an ancient Chinese document. What exactly is port? What does it taste like? And why would I want it? Port has a very long history in the world. Because of its heightened levels of sugar and alcohol, which act almost as preservatives for the wine, Port can age for years and years and can withstand the elements much better than regular still wine. The Founding Fathers enjoyed lots and lots of port, as it was much, much more likely to make the long, hard journey by ship from Europe to America without spoiling.

You may be wondering, "How do I choose one?" Understanding the terminology on port labels is the obvious first step to entering this magical world. First, port is basically defined as a sweet, fortified wine, usually enjoyed after a meal. These wines originated in the Douro Valley of Portugal, and are now made in many other parts of the world. True port, however, must come from Portugal. To make port, alcohol (usually brandy) is added to wine about halfway through fermentation, which stops the fermentation process, keeping a high level of residual sugar and raising the alcohol level to anywhere from 17 to 20 percent. From here, the aging and bottling processes vary according to the type of port being made.

Vintage ports are usually regarded as the best, though it's really a matter of personal taste. Vintage ports are made from grapes from a single vintage and only from the best vintages. If the grapes are not considered outstanding, a vintage will not be declared. In other words, you won't be able to find vintage port from every year. To become vintage port, the fortified wine is aged in oak for no more than two years, then aging continues in the bottle. These ports are built for almost limitless aging and tend to be quite expensive.

I highly recommend both the 1994 and 1997 Broadbent Vintage ports (about $60). The grapes for these wines came from 70-year-old vines, which create very concentrated fruit. Fantastic. Both of these wines received 94 point scores.

Ruby ports are at the complete other end of the spectrum from vintage ports. They are made from lower-quality grapes and are pretty darn cheap, for the most part. Ruby ports are quite fruity and light in color and are seldom very memorable. A good ruby port that will not be disappointing is the Ferreira Ruby Port (about $13).

This port is aged for no more than three years and is a very young, light, fruity wine. It's a good place to start if you've never had any port before.

Tawny ports (my personal favorites) are made from grapes of more than one vintage and spend all of their aging time in oak casks, which results in a "tawny" color and a sweet, nutty flavor. A tawny port label will tell you how long it spent in the cask—10, 20, 30 or 40 years. A best bet is the fantastic Warres Otima 10-year Tawny (about $24). This wine is not over-the-top sweet and tastes like roasted pecans. It's great with dessert or as dessert!

Late-bottled vintage ports are made from grapes of a single vintage, but spend four to six years in oak before being bottled. They do not have the aging potential that vintage ports have, but are a tasty and less expensive alternative to Vintage port. I recommend the 1997 Quinta do Crasto Late-bottled Vintage (about $22).

This port was bottled unfiltered and unfined, which allows the wine to continue to develop in the bottle and leaves much more concentrated, intense black fruit flavors in the wine. It's the next best thing to vintage port.

Lesley Tolar McHardy is a Jackson sommelier and the JFP's wine columnist.