Port is no longer just a Christmas drink, it has had a creative and innovative rebirth – gone the image of a pipe and slipper drinker where port is concerned.
Today port can be found in cocktails, it can be mixed with sparkling wine for a little more body or can be add to a bourbon or brandy. It is not just red (ruby) either; there is white, rosé, and tawny to choose from.
Ruby ports are perhaps the cheapest as they do not improve with age whereas the vintage port does and therefore is far more expensive, the sky is the limit. Tawny port is aged in barrels to give it the nutty flavour – definitely pudding in a glass.
Although Portuguese wine has caught the eye (and purse) of visiting merchants since the 12th century, it was only in the late 17th century that records can be found of Portuguese wine being referred to as port.
With over 400 years’ history between Britain and Porto, it is no surprise that the Brits have enjoyed the tipple through the ages.
The first treaty to be signed between the United Kingdom and Portugal was in 1386, thus establishing a commercial and political tie between the two nations.
Continuing to this day, Portugal and the United Kingdom have the longest-standing diplomatic alliance still in existence between two nations.
Catch the recent visit to Porto by The Wine Show; Port – A Contemporary Classic