Port and Sherry

[Brad Bowers]

Any Port and Sherry drinkers here, or is that too refined for this crowd?

Brad

 

[jamespowers]

Hey, Hey! I just happen to have roots in the area where Port wine has been produced for centuries. Port is a fine aperitif or an after dinner drink---whatever you like really. Here are just some of the more famous brands:
Warre, Croft, Taylor, Sandeman, Offley Forrester, Kopke, van Zeller, Burmester, Graham, Guimaraens, Cockburn, and Dow.
What type of flavor are you looking for and how much are willing to spend? I say this because there are so many varieties it is pitiful.
If I might, I will share my favorite. Colheita is a tawny but from a single vintage much like a single malt Scotch. It might be thought of as a vintage tawny. It must receive a minimum of seven years in wood, but most are aged much longer. Also the wine should indicate the year of bottling and should be drunk within a year of that date. This is the rarest of all Port. Their production, a specialty of the Portuguese Port houses, amounts to less than 0.5% of all Port made. The taste is superb with a character combining the taste of red wine at its height of rich fruity taste with the bouquet and smoothness of the brandy that is added at the perfect time to halt fermentation.
Another of my favorites is Vintage Port. This is the really high dollar Port that is again specifically from one single harvest. Vintage Port is the finest and most expensive of the Port styles. At most, it accounts for about 2% of all production and is one of the most sought after wines in the world. As stated on the bottle, Vintage Port comes from a single harvest of exceptional quality and is bottled after two to three years of cask aging. The wine then spends many years maturing in the bottle---unlike Scotch. It may take 15 to 50 years for a good Vintage Port to be ready for drinking. Ah but the wait is worth it! Each shipper must decided within two years of a harvest year if that particular year will be of enough quality to be released as a Vintage Port. This is known as "declaring the vintage". The first Vintage Ports were declared around 1734. This is a guessing game and it takes a very experienced vintner to recognize the qualities of a Vintage.
These Ports should be decanted before serving. The flavor is even better than the Colheita. Smooth with usually flavors of fruit and a nose of a good red wine. Each vintage is different so you have to take my advice as a specific applied to the general.
Decanting maybe a harder process than you might think. The bottle should first be stood upright for at least 24 hours before serving to allow the sediment to settle to the bottom of the bottle. Removing the cork from a very old bottle of Port might also prove interesting. They sometimes break apart during the process and get into the wine. No problem just strain the wine through a wire screen as you pour. Do not use paper filters because they add "flavors" to the Port that you do not want. LOL I won't even mention using the Port Tongs. That is difficult for the experts to do correctly and you have to drink the whole bottle after doing it. Come to think of it maybe not a bad idea!
Geez, I might be rambling now. If someone has specific questions, I would be glad to answer them instead of writing a book here. LOL

Regards to all,

J

P.S. I do not know much about Sherry.

 

[Brad Bowers]

I had my first Port this past summer. My sister is married to a French guy, who's a great chef, so he whipped up this fabulous meal, and we had Port as an aperitif. It was quite tasty. My wife's not a wine drinker, but she liked the Port, as it was sweet enough for her. I can't remember the brand, but it was spelled something like "Ferrari."

I bought a bottle of Port here in Utah, but it taste a bit too much like raisins for me. I need to try another brand.

I haven't had sherry, either. I like dessert wines, though, and can stand them pretty darn sweet.

Brad

 

[Retro Grouch]

I never liked these fortified wines. TOOOOOO sweet. Then again, I'm not a big fan of dessert wines. Maybe a small taste of a German trockenbeerenauslese but only once in a while.

Brad, could the port be Fonseca?

Liqueurs are a different story, though.

Tom

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Retro Grouch
I never liked these fortified wines. TOOOOOO sweet. Then again, I'm not a big fan of dessert wines.

Fortified wines? You make them sound like Thunderbird or Four Roses. LOL They are a little bit more than that. They have actually seen a grape in their crafting. I do have to admit that I passed on an offer of a taste of decent Tawny just recently though. I just couldn't get it in after a large cut of Prime Rib and the Chocolate Mousse looked better.

Originally posted by Retro Grouch
Liqueurs are a different story, though.

Ok, what kind of Liquers are we talking about?

Regards to all,

J

 

[Brad Bowers]

Tom,

No it wasn't Fonseca. It really something like Ferreiro or Ferrieri or something close. I told myself to think of Ferrari when I went to shop for it again, but I didn't see it on the shelves here.

Yes, let's hear about liqueurs. I know nothing about them.

Brad

 

[Michaelson]

Which is better with a Swanson's T.V. dinner? That's what I'm having for supper tonight, I was just informed. Regards. Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

I would go for the Thunderbird with the Swanson's TV dinner. LOL

 

[Michaelson]

I was thinking Mad Dog 20/20, but will definitely consider your recommendation. (grins) Regards. Michaelson

 

[Retro Grouch]

B&B has been a long-time family favorite and is my hands down favorite. It's made with Benedictine and brandy. Nothing better on a cold night in front of a warm fire.

Drambuie ranks #2. This is a Scottish liqueur (hmmm, scotch again) made with scotch and honey. Skip the ice.

Grand Marnier is cognac and oranges. Nuff said.

Tia Maria is made with coffee and vanilla.

Irish Mist is Irish whiskey, honey and aromatics.

There is a taster of liqueurs. These are my favorites but there are other good one out there. My preference is to drink them straight and slightly warm.

And yes, MD 20/20 would be a companion drink to Swanson. Secondary choices would Ripple, Boones Farm or Thunderbird. LOL

Tom

 

[jamespowers]

Mad Dog 20/20!? Geez, you are brave! Next you will bring up Cisco. LOL Mad Dog is so strong that the next day hangover can be cured with water. It just gets you drunk again by rehydrating the stuff still in your system! LOL True Rot Gut stuff.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Michaelson]

I remember it well from my college days....but we won't go into that.... Regards. Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Michaelson
I remember it well from my college days....but we won't go into that.... Regards. Michaelson

Yeah me too. Nothing ever changes. LOL

Regards to all,

J