Thread: i'm enjoying a glass of fine port tonight

From Portugal (where else) At $70.00 per bottle, each glass is about $10.00. The trouble is that I can easily drink 2 or 3 glasses a night. Any fellow port drinkers out there? What is your favourite port? and what is your budget port?(you know, the one you bring out when your friends show up)

I love Ports but I don't currently have any in my small little wine collection.
However, when I go out to dinner I tend to request the flights (samples of each) or I stay around the 40 - 60 year. My pallet likes the sweeter Ports since I really enjoy Ice Wine.

Once my lady and I are done with our wine clubs, one of the clubs is reds and the other is deserts, we will most likely be looking to add Ports. Our price ranges will be between $60 - $100 each. Due to the expensive nature of a good Port I doubt we'll have a vast collection.

a good port for guests is Graham's Six Grape... runs about 30 bucks a bottle and is very decent, although definitely on the sweeter end of the spectrum. Notes of dark chocolate and rasberry in the finish.

Here's a great baby gift idea. Give a bottle of vintage port to the parents of the newborn. No, they cannot open it, but must shelve it for the childs college graduation or some other noteworthy event some twenty years out.

A friend did that when my sons were born. Inscribed on each label is a note signed by my friend to the child. Very cool.

My older son graduated from Yale last year (far smarter than his old man). We waited until the my friend who gave the gift was in town (he lives on the other coast) to drink it (and only after downing many other wonderful beverages). It was about 14 years old when he gave it; so add another 22 years! Wonderful. We killed it in one sitting. Hangovers for everyone!

I started collecting wine about 9 years ago after dating an Italian girl from my gym.
Sadly, I never really got into Port's. They a tad sweet, if I recall. I'm more of an Cianti kind of person, but it's been years since I've really drank wine. Maybe it's time to give Port another look. What do you recommend, I'd like something, both very nice, special occasion, and something you can drink everyday...Here in Florida, we have no Cellars. So, I have this 100 bottle dual side reefer....

Rich

Zib

That is a smokin' nice wine fridge! Looks like a nice dual climate.

Everyday: The Port jockeys recommended is a great one. It's about 3-4 years old. Though not a vintage but an excellent choice for everyday Port fans.

Vintage: There are many out there. What I can recommend is going to a wine bar if there is one near you and request a flight. You can really start to taste the tones as they progress in age. Progression is 10-20-30-40 and hard to find 60 year Tawny Ports.

For me, the younger vintages tend to have more of the dark flavors come out and as they age the sweet tones come forward. Again, this is just my pallet. This is why I enjoy the 40-60 year Ports. If you can find a 60 year that is for a decent price that is. I've only had that once. On a serious note I tend to lean towards the 30-40 year for the sake of the sweetness. 20-30 are excellent for the darks and sweets combination if you want to avoid the 40 years.

In no way am I a professional taster. Just some small things I have gathered in my short time as a wine drinker.

We do have a Wine Bars here, a few I think. There's also a winery in St.Augustine called San Sabastian, but that's a totally different kind of wine made from Mucadine grapes. They're not bad, different, some are extraordinarilly sweet. I have a few of their bottles. They have a Rose, called Rosa, go figure, which is excellent on a hot summer day. Their Vinter's red and white are too sweet for me, but they have one called Castillo Red, named after the fort in St.Augustine that's not too bad. It's no Lafite Rothschild, but not bad. They also make a Port and a Sherry, As I recall, it wasn't too
bad. I'll check around...Thanks...

Rich

I'd recommend Port from a small winery in Lodi, California called St. Amant. Their Vintage Port sells for around $35 and is an truly outstanding Port year after year. Their 2006 is currently being sold at their winery and on their website. It can be found at some retail outlets including Beverages and More.

Love my port. The Seppelt Para range from over here is crazily good. Made in the Barossa Valley, the entry level aged tawny goes for about A$30 and contains all the elements you could want from a very fine Australian Fortified. While I have never tried, they also make and release a 100 year old Para each year. Last time I heard, these bottles were going from anywhere between A$850 - $1250. For Vintage port I cant go past the 'King' by Peter Lehmann for A$30.. Liquorice and pudding. You shouldnt have too many problems sourcing these from over in NZ. Cheers

Enjoyed many fine wines from Aussie which never get exported. We rarely see your best wines here.