Port

Port wine is a fortified wine produced in the scenic Douro Valley in northern Portugal that comes in various styles, including dry, off-dry, sweet and white. It’s often served with dessert or after dinner because of its richness. Characteristically rich, this full-bodied wine is typically made by mixing (or fortifying) blended Portuguese red wine with a neutral grape spirit.

Although similar fortified wines are produced in Argentina, Australia, India and Canada, only fortified wines from Portugal can legally be labelled as “Port”. With a long history dating back to the trading days of the late 18th century, Port is the third-oldest wine produced in the world.

The base wine used for Port is produced by blending six varieties of red grapes found in the Douro Valley:

Touriga Nacional: The backbone of many fine Ports, it lends depth and complexity with dark fruit flavours.

Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo): Offers spiciness and berry flavours, adding finesse and balance to Port blends.

Touriga Franca: This grape brings bright red fruit and a perfumed elegance to the blend.

Tinta Barroca: Its soft, sweet fruit character balances Port blends with softer, rounder notes.

Tinta Cão: Offers vibrant acidity and floral undertones, playing a role in the longevity and freshness of Port wines.

Tinta Amarela: This grape adds complexity and elegance to Port wine blends with its fragrant aromas of red fruits and spices.

Port winemaking dates back centuries – to the second half of the 17th century – with many traditional techniques still being used today. After the grapes are handpicked from the vines, they are crushed. Traditionally, grapes were foot-trodden in large stone troughs called ‘lagares’. This method ensures gentle juice extraction without breaking the seeds, which can make the wine bitter. While some quintas (vineyard estates) still use this method, mechanical crushers are also widely used in modern winemaking.

After crushing, the grape juice is left to ferment, turning its sugars into alcohol. Unlike most wines, the fermentation process for Port is stopped prematurely to preserve the wine’s inherent sweetness, giving Port its signature character.

To stop the fermentation process at the right level of sweetness, the wine is fortified. A neutral grape spirit called aguardente is added to the fermenting wine and its high alcohol content (around 77% ABV) kills the yeast and stops fermentation. This fortification process preserves the wine’s sweetness and boosts the alcohol, typically to about 16-20% ABV.

Once fortified, the wine is left to age for at least two years in stainless steel tanks or small oak barrels called pipas before being bottled and sold. The type of Port dictates the length of ageing.

Port wine is available in various styles, but the four most common are Ruby, Tawny, Rosé and White.

Ruby Port – Young, fruity, and vibrant, with deep crimson hues. This style also includes Vintage, Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV), and Crusted Port, all aged for different lengths of time to produce more complex flavours.

Tawny Port – Aged in wooden barrels, this wine develops a golden-brown colour with nuts, dried fruits, and caramel flavours. Age labels – 10, 20, 30, 40 years – signify the wine’s character rather than its precise age.

White Port – Made using native Portuguese grapes like Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio, and Malvasia. White Port is made in a range of styles and sweetness levels, from bone-dry to lusciously sweet.

Rosé Port – The newest style and technically a Ruby Port, it is produced in a similar style to rosé wine – with the red grape skins having minimal contact to produce a pretty shade of pink.

Part of the magic of Port is that each style and vintage comes with its own character. But, Port’s core flavours are often described as sweet, luxurious and ripe, with medium tannins offering a hint of bitterness underneath.

Ruby Port wines are bursting with flavours like raspberry, blackberry, caramel, cinnamon and chocolate, offering wine drinkers something indulgent and moreish. Tawny Port has some similar flavours, like raspberry, cinnamon and caramel, but the additional ageing in wooden barrels adds hazelnut, clove and fig.

Like rosé wine, Rosé Port also has bright flavours of raspberry, strawberry and cranberry sauce flavours. As White Port is made with different grapes than Port’s traditional six-grape blend, it has an entirely different flavour profile, characterised by citrus, sweet fruits like apricot and baked apple, and sweet toasted nuts.

With its intense fruit flavours and sweetness, Port can be paired with a variety of dishes, from rich cheeses to smoked meats to dessert. For example:

• Ruby and LBV Ports – Match their fruitiness with blue cheeses or decadent chocolate desserts.
• Tawny Port – Ideal with nutty desserts, creamy cheeses or caramel tarts.
• White Port – A great choice with seafood dishes, almonds or as an aperitif with olives.

Discover more food and wine pairing tips. 

Ruby and Tawny Port are best served just below room temperature – around 16C. Any colder risks losing those iconic, sticky-sweet hints of raspberry and caramel. In the summer, Rosé or White Port can be served over ice with a peel of lime and even a splash of tonic for a refreshing long drink.

Port’s intense flavours and high alcohol levels mean it is typically served in small measures in dessert wine or special Port wine glasses. These have long stems but short, tulip-shaped bowls perfectly suited to Port’s complex aromas.

Learn more about wine serving temperatures. 

We’ve all been guilty of leaving a bottle of Port on a sideboard, but follow these simple rules of thumb and you’ll keep your wine in top drinking condition.

• Ruby and LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port – Once opened, these vibrant and fruity styles can maintain their character for up to two weeks, if they’re resealed and stored in a cool, dark place.
• Tawny Port – Aged Tawny Ports have already been exposed to some air during their time in wooden barrels. This exposure gives them the ability to last slightly longer once opened. We suggest enjoying an opened bottle within three weeks for optimum flavour.
• White and Rosé Port – These lighter styles, once uncorked, should be finished within a week to ten days. To keep their freshness and aromatic profiles, it’s best to pop them in the fridge.
• Vintage Port – The complexity and depth of Vintage Port is easily tainted by the air once it’s opened. So, gather friends and family to finish the full bottle within two to three days.

Here are some handy Port storage tips:

• Always reseal the bottle with its original cork or a wine stopper.
• Store the bottle upright to minimise surface area exposed to oxygen.
• If you don’t plan on finishing the bottle soon after opening, consider transferring the wine to a smaller bottle or using a wine preservation system to minimise oxidation.

Read more tips to make your wine last longer.