Drink Port. We are not talking here about port wine from Goa but the original style, produced in Portugal. Port wine is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It is typically rich, sweet, and high in alcohol due to the addition of grape spirit (brandy) during fermentation. Common styles include Ruby, Tawny, White, and Vintage Port. Cockburn’s (pronounced “Co-burns”) is a well-known producer of Port wine, founded in 1815 and currently owned by Symington Family Estates. Another leading producer is The Fladgate Partnership, which owns Taylor’s Port, founded in 1692.
Rich, sweet Port was most popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain. Britain is still one of the largest consumers of Port wine. At one time, it was traditional in Britain for the women to ‘withdraw’ to the drawing room after dinner while the men lingered at the dining table drinking port or brandy. This custom finally faded in the 20th century as social norms evolved.
I remember in the old days in India, while the men consumed copious amounts of Scotch, we were invariably offered Bristol Cream Sherry or Cockburn’s Port, which was considered more suitable for women than Spirits, never mind their high alcohol content! White Port is often the go-to for an aperitif. For food pairings, Tawny or Ruby Ports are the most common choices. However that may be, today everyone can enjoy Port in any way they like! What’s your preference? — RKS
Sanjay Menon of Sonarys Co-Brands imports a range of ports. For more details email: sonarys@sonarys.bi