Honestly, I think that Port is one of those Rodney Dangerfields of the wine world. I was recently asked if I actually liked Port wines. My response completely blew away my questioner. “I adore…no…make that…I love Port.” It is that plain and that simple. Port is one of the most underappreciated wines in the world, next to Sherry and Marsala (more on that another time). While all of these wines are great in the kitchen, they shine brightly by themselves.

The best thing about Port is that in the winter it can tenderize the heart of the biggest scrooge in your house. I cannot even imagine a holiday season without the warming comforts of Port. I am serious...I really can't!

Okay…so what is the big deal? Well…a lot of it goes back in history.

In the late 1600's Great Britain declared war on France, which resulted in an instant wine shortage for the Brit’s. To satiate their thirst for spirits, the British turned to Portugal for their wine supply. Unfortunately the long ocean journey caused the Portuguese wines to spoil. Necessity being the mother of invention--and there is no greater necessity than wine--neutral brandy was added to the wine raising the alcohol content and thus making spoilage more difficult. The by-product became Port, one of my true passions.

What exactly is Port? Well, it is made from red grapes that only go through a few days of fermentation before neutral grape spirits are added to the batch. The spirits raise the alcohol level to a point where natural fermentation stops, resulting in a wine that is high in alcohol and very sweet.

There are many Port-style wines out there, but true port only comes from Portugal. Not to say that the others are not good, but I recommend starting with the real deal and then moving on from there.

Here are a few of the more common Ports you will see.

Ruby Port - Ruby Ports are a good introduction to Port. It is blended from different vintages of Port wine, maintaining a brand consistency. Sweet, fruity and holding a punch of alcohol, it is agreat starting point.

Tawny Port - Usually labeled with the number of years it has aged (for example, a bottle labeled as "10 year Tawny Port" is made from wine that has been aging in a cask for an average 10 years) aged Tawny Port can be very complex in flavor and have a nice caramel character to it. Tawny Port without an age on the label is likely a blend of red and white Port. While not as complex as the aged, it is still tasty stuff.

Vintage Port - Made only in the very best years, it is from a single vintage and only the very best lots of grapes from that year are used. The result is a wine that has loads of flavor with the ability to age for decades in the bottle. Young Vintage Port almost hurts your tongue but as it ages it becomes complex and wonderful. I really don't recommend buying young vintage Port, but once it has about 10 years of age it can be ethereal.

There are still more types of ports (Late Bottle Vintage, Crusted, Colheita…etc.) but you are not as likely to come across them as you are the “big 3” listed above. If I were you…I would start with an inexpensive Ruby or Tawny and then move on from there. One of my favorite Port bargains is the Porto Morgado Tawny Port that you can pick up from Trader Joe’s. It is awesomely good stuff and costs less than six bucks! Talk about a great place to get your feet wet!

So…give Port a chance and if you are like me….you will be hooked.

Oh….one caveate…Port is sweet and yummy, but it is also about 20% alcohol…so watch yourself.

Cheers

Ron Sober is a Learning Specialist for U-M by day. He is a certified International wine judge, consultant and educator by night. He writes about wine for AnnArbor.com.