Port

A replacement for wine in the 1700s, port can do so much more than partner cheese. Chanel Owen, head sommelier at Pied à Terre, picks her four favourite ports for savoury and sweet dishes

The Story

Named after the city of Porto, this festive staple came to the fore in England when war with France meant we needed another source of wine. Portugal’s Douro Valley plugged the gap but, to survive the longer voyage, the wine was fortified with brandy. This gave it a stronger alcohol content (20% ABV) and sweeter flavour.

The Grapes

There are several styles of port but they must be made from the 80 or so grape varieties of the Douro Valley. Ruby port is the most popular, with variants of tawny (aged in wooden barrels) and rose (minimal skin contact); key varieties include touriga franca, touriga nacional, tinta roriz and tinta barroca. For white, grapes include rabigato, gouveio, sercial and malvasia.

The Taste

Red or black berries, chocolate, spice – there are many layers. A ruby might give you the fruitiness of cherries, berries and plums, a tawny might offer sweeter caramel and nuttiness, a rose more red berries, and white, toffee sweetness, citrus and honey.

The Pairings

Famously, the saltiness of cheese goes well with the sweetness of port, but it’s very versatile: berry fruit pies and chocolate desserts work well naturally, and try a ruby with caramelised scallops, a tawny with duck or venison, or a chilled white with seafood.