What does port taste like?
Port tastes sweet, rich and jammy, like blackberries, plums and raisins with chocolate and spice, fuller and stronger than regular wine at about 20% alcohol.
Port
sweet, jammy and warming
Port is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Winemakers add grape spirit partway through fermentation, which stops the yeast and leaves lots of natural grape sugar, so it ends up both sweet and strong, around 19 to 22%. Ruby port is young and fruity, all berries and plums. Tawny port ages in barrels and turns amber, tasting of caramel, nuts and dried fruit. Vintage port, from a single great year, is dark, intense and built to age for decades. It's usually poured in small glasses after dinner.
Where you’ll see it
On dessert menus by the glass, especially tawny and ruby, alongside cheese (classically Stilton), chocolate and nuts. Also in sauces for steak and duck, and as white port and tonic, a summer favorite in Portugal.
Order it if you like dessert wine, dark chocolate or a cheese plate and want a sweet, strong nightcap.
Quick questions
- What's the difference between ruby and tawny port?
- Ruby is young, red and fruity, like berry jam. Tawny ages longer in barrels, turning amber and tasting of caramel, nuts and dried fruit.
- How long does port last once opened?
- Ruby keeps a couple of weeks in the fridge and tawny a month or two. Drink vintage port within a day or two.