What’s the Port You Call For

By / Wine + Drinks / December 23rd, 2013 / 1

There are things that make me scratch my head in wonderment, like after so many years of ineptitude why the Leafs continue to be “Canada’s team”; it’s the same kind of bewilderment I have for those who say they don’t like Port … how can you not like Port?

Everybody loves sweet wine.  I’ve yet to meet a person who can honestly csay they hate sweet wine.  There are those who claim to hate sweet, but then they love late harvest wines, or pick up a white Zinfandel because it’s such a “summery wine”.  Manischewitz gets a bad name as a bad wine, yet there are those who drink it (secretly) and love it … but sweet wine seems to be everyone’s guilty pleasure, admitted or not.

So what’s wrong with Port?  Why is this sweet wine on most people’s naughty list.  Could it be that you just haven’t tried the right one or at the right time … here are a few you should at least get a sip of before the year comes to a close.

Croft 2008 Late Bottle Vintage Port ($18.95)

Don’t think about it, just buy it.  Rich dark cherry with plum and chocolate, if you’re not a fan you will be after this.

Offley 10 Year Old Tawny ($25.95)

Complexity is the name of the game here, layers of orange zest, caramel and plenty of spice with good acidity on the finish.

Pocas 1994 Colheita Port ($41.95)

Spice and acidity are at the fore with a cherry and cranberry cocktail mix in the background.

NB:  Vintage Ports are too young to drink right now, so they make great gifts for years to come – the 2011 Croft and 2011 Taylor Fladgate are both wonderful additions to any cellar.

For more wine suggestions, see our other #WineWednesday posts.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is an award-winning journalist: Promoting the Promoters Award Cuvée 2010 and Ontario Wine Awards Journalist of the Year 2012.  He is also a national and international wine judge - Ontario Wine Awards, All Canadian Wine Championships; Best of Riesling — Germany; Essencia do Vinho — "Top Wines of Portugal".  He is currently the President of the Wine Writers Circle of Canada and the wine columnist for Ottawa Life and Grand magazine as well as regular contributor to Tidings, and Grapevine ... his reviews have also appeared in the LCBO Vintages magazine. Michael has also added a YouTube channel to his activities where he reviews bottles of great Ontario wine on a weekly basis. In whatever he does, it is Michael’s desire to educate, inspire and encourage others to grow their own love and enthusiasm for wine – and to realize that it is their palate that ultimately makes the decision.

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