Port wine

[Cohiba007]

Hello fellow Alcoholics. My name is Tony.

Question is

I enjoy port wine sometimes with my cigars, but due to being a very sweet wine, i will not drink more that a glass. I have heard that a corked bottle of port will last a lot longer than corking any other red. Usually I can notice a red wine starting to turn after even one day but have heard that port will not turn for a few weeks. Is this true? Ken?

[COJ]

» Hello fellow Alcoholics. My name is Tony.

» Question is

» I enjoy port wine sometimes with my cigars, but due to being a very sweet

» wine, i will not drink more that a glass. I have heard that a corked

» bottle of port will last a lot longer than corking any other red. Usually

» I can notice a red wine starting to turn after even one day but have heard

» that port will not turn for a few weeks. Is this true? Ken?

No connoisseur when it comes to port wine...but in my experience they last for weeks...

I'm sure someone better suited to answer is coming along soon...

[Colt45]

In general, port can be handled like "normal" wine. But because it is fortified,

and has a higher alcohol content, it oxidizes much more slowly than unfortified wine.

My personal opinion is that it will keep for some time after opening, but tends to

lose flavor, rather than turn bad.

[PorscheC4S]

I have poured a glass of tawney from a bottle that's been open for months and stored in the dark, at room temperature. It's still potable, but lacks some of the taste of the fruit and has a much stronger taste of alcohol. I think a few weeks is a safe time period to enjoy port, so long as it's not exposed to extreme temperatures or left uncorked. Maybe the Wellington of Wine can give a more expert opinion....Ken??

[El Presidente]

Ken is away fishing on Fraser Island for a few weeks....he neded a break

Port will oxidise. Cork in and left on the shelf an open bottle of port can be good for up to two months. Cork in and in the fridge you can get anywhere up to 6 months.

This has been my personal observations. No doubt Ken will call me a Barbarian upon his return.

[CelticBasque]

I wouldn't personally give it more than a week to 11 days in the bottle. However, since it's fortified, as Colt45 said, and has a higher sugar content, it will sit quite a bit longer than regular reds.

God do I love Port!!!!

Lately I've consumed a bottle of Fonseca Late Bottled Vintage (1997) and a bottle of Warre's Warrior... you just can't go wrong with this stuff!!!

[jadawin]

i jsut finished a bottle of fladgate 10 year last night that i had open for around 3 weeks. still damn good!:-)

[skid11]

Hi Tony,

You are talking about two very different ports here.................. The Tawny port style is made too last for a considerable time (similar to sherry) This is due in part to the high alcohol content & the fortification process, these bottles generally have a plastic cap with a small cork attached designed to be removed and replaced many times.

The other style is Vintage Port which is made to be consummed within a short period ( 1- 2 days tops) and comes in generally smaller bottles with a cork that requires pulling similar to red or white wines (before screw tops).

Vintage port is excellent and a lot more expensive than Tawny Port and you can develop a real taste and liking for this style. It is made by similar fortification techniques but must contain grapes sourced from that particular year (vintage) stated on the bottle.

I agree that Tawny port can be too sweet, Aged Vintage port is suberb it can be sweet but is never sickly it can also be drier in style. I would suggest trying a fine Muscat or Tokay as they have the flavour without the over the top sweetness, last for a very long time and are excellent with cigars. Like any wine if you live in the tropics you must keep your wines in a cool place as the heat causes rapid maturation . Cool climates have much less of a problem and cellaring in a dark vibration free area is recommended.

Hope this helps mate:ok:

[Tiny Tim]

I love port with my cigars, usually drinking ruby. I keep my port in a decanter and it lasts for quite awhile. I usually go through a bottle well before it can "go bad" but if it's kept air tight it will last "forever", or at least a very long time.

[IShotAManInReno]

It depends.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Vintage Port. The best of these typically should not be enjoyed until they've aged at least 20 years (1970, 1977 & 1985 are great right now). But with age comes a more delicate nature. I have found that they actually taste BETTER on the second day after they have been opened. It gives it time to open up more and show its colors. But the complexities tend to fade quickly and are largely gone by the fourth day. I wouldn't drink them beyond the fifth day.

Tawny ports? Sure they will probably will keep for a week or two.

[Jimmy2]

I have been lucky to have tried some great ports and Madeira's from years 1961 and 1970 and alot form the 1800's you know the best of the best.

Man its good to have a friend with a 4000+ wine cellar.

Port opened will hold for sometime in the fridge but if its good it will be empty in no time.

[Ken Gargett]

» Ken is away fishing on Fraser Island for a few weeks....he neded a break

»

»

» Port will oxidise. Cork in and left on the shelf an open bottle of port

» can be good for up to two months. Cork in and in the fridge you can get

» anywhere up to 6 months.

»

» This has been my personal observations. No doubt Ken will call me a

» Barbarian upon his return.

first, i am not on fraser island but thanks for keeping up. i am in canturbury discussing cricket at every opp. have just had a few excellent days in central otago. some brilliant pinots and they ar doing excellent things with riesling. tomorrow to hawkes bay.

yes you are a barbarian, even though you were not far wrong. it depends a lot on the type of port - tawny or vintage or...

tawny will last alot longer than others when re-corked and i would recommend the fridge. if well sealed, screwcap better than cork, reds should last at least 2-3 days in fridge. some are better ater a day.

port should do a lot better. but vintage, woul not like to see it go past 6-7 days and tawny may be a week or two, but better lesser times.

[bassman]

I always keep unfinished port wine in the fridge. It will not go bad, per say, but I find after a week it loses a lot of it flavor. Just sugar & alcohol by then.

I am highly impressed by a variety of Australian ports I've tried. A little light than true vintage porto, but delicious just the same- and fairly priced.

[CelticBasque]

Just opened up a bottle of Taylor Fladgate 2000 Late Bottle Vintage this evening.

Overall, I just wasn't terribly impressed with this particular selection.

To my taste, it had an almost 'chemical' undertone that resonated continually with each sip and the raisiny quality was perhaps a bit overbearing.

Then again, I just had a bottle of Fonseca 1997 LBV a few weeks ago and that one needed to be decanted for sediment.

That stuff was like crack!!!! :-|

[Guest crossbow]

» Just opened up a bottle of Taylor Fladgate 2000 Late Bottle Vintage this

» evening.

» Overall, I just wasn't terribly impressed with this particular selection.

» To my taste, it had an almost 'chemical' undertone that resonated

» continually with each sip and the raisiny quality was perhaps a bit

» overbearing.

»

» Then again, I just had a bottle of Fonseca 1997 LBV a few weeks ago and

» that one needed to be decanted for sediment.

» That stuff was like crack!!!! :-|

I am going through a bottle of 1991 Taylor Fladgate - a glass a day. Its on its 2nd week and I still have a glass and a half left at the bottle. I will be sad to see it go since I could not find anymore. :-( :-(