The Bar Towel

I've never tried port before but I've been dying to lately. Can anyone recommend a good tawny or ruby port in the $10-20 range?

Try the Kopke ruby at the LCBO - cheap, the ruby (bottom grade) of one of the real port houses of Oporto and a good grapey first step.

It's been a while since I've bought/drank port. Typically I'd have 2-3 oz at a time, so a bottle is good for about 10 drinks. It'll last a little while. I wouldn't go cheap (especially if you're formulating an opinion on it).

That said, you certainly don't want to go too pricie, because you probably wouldn't appreciate it (I would't either).

$20-30 will get you something considerably nicer (just like wine, but it'll last you longer).

Maybe GRAHAM'S 10 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT?

(This probably similar to recommending Sleeman's porter as an intro to craft beer).

Port and Sherry - check Vintages at LCBO - get the Vintages guides for recent releases and read the descriptions which may be accurate.

There's some great basic information in books like Wine for Dummies - the highly recommended 'first book' anyone should seek out. You can get very good value per dollar for quality Port or Madeira, often affordable half-botles, and it's all what you like so just try to grab a decent one. And don't forget there is a tasting kiosk at Queen's Quay than may be showing off one or another.

Lots of people think Sherry is garbage because they've only tried the awful plonky stuff their Aunt Madge serves. This general unpopularity keeps the profile (& the prices) of 'the good stuff' on the lowdown.

I better shut up before we turn this thread into an all-out discussion of distilled spirits, fortified wines, etc. But let us know what you find and what you like about it.

If you can find it, Croft Indulgence for $9.95 is excellent introductory Port, and is perfect for making first impressions.

In my opinion, Taylor Fladgate is the premier port house. Their Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) is always in top form. It retails for $17.35 for a 750ml. Their First Estate is also very good at $15.20.
True "wood ports" or tawnies are kinda pricey. A true wood port will have a year attached to it, like Graham's 10 year old or 20 year old. These ports are blends of port wine that has been aged for at least the number of years listed on the bottle. In reality, the blend is compared to a benchmark sample of a true 10 or 20 year old for colour and flavour. Expect to pay at least $25.00 for a 10 year old and around $40 .00for a 20 year old.
Ports that call themselves "tawny" but indicate no age are usually higher end Ruby ports. tawnies are the favourite of the Portuguese. These wines are drinkable when released. The "vintage" ports, released only in the finest (declared) years take many years to come together. They are regarded in Portugal as "Englishmen's Wine". Vintage spends very little time in oak, as little as 1 year, then it is bottled and laid down for many years. It undergoes a transformation in the bottle rather than in the barrel. This is called "reductive aging". During this time, tannins fall out of suspension and form a crust on the bottom of the bottle. A good vintage port requires at least 15 years in the bottle to be in great form.

The only port I have ever tried is Fonseca's Bin 27 Reserve Port, and at $16.95, is a steal. I liked it quite a lot. It went very well with English Stilton cheese. I recently had a Casa Dos Vinhos Fino Old Madeira and I thought was ten times better than the port. It was selling for around $18.40 if I can remember. A very fine wine indeed. I also have a Graham's 2003 Vintage Port in my cellar. This was quite pricey at $90, but you can't argue with the aging potential and the quality of vintage ports, or so I'm told. I'm not planning on opening this until at least 2050.

i usually go with Dow's when i can find it. i think it's 16-17 a bottle? heh, whatever their cheapest stuff is.

If you are looking for long term storage before the sipping, buying vintage ports young with the plan of sticking them away for over a decade is a good strategy. Also a way to make sure you know there will be some decent stuff around when the kids who are little now are getting married.

All good posts, guys. Thanks!

PRMason wrote:True "wood ports" or tawnies are kinda pricey. A true wood port will have a year attached to it, like Graham's 10 year old or 20 year old. These ports are blends of port wine that has been aged for at least the number of years listed on the bottle. In reality, the blend is compared to a benchmark sample of a true 10 or 20 year old for colour and flavour. Expect to pay at least $25.00 for a 10 year old and around $40 .00for a 20 year old.

"Kinda pricey" is a good description. While I wouldn't go out and buy a bottle a week, compared to wine, scotch or even beer, I think it's a pretty good value.

Wine is so overpriced. It's amazing how the North American industry has managed to elevate the image so far above that of the "wino".

You can really blame California for the high prices. Yes, the French have always gotten high prices for their Grand Crus and classified growths, but most of it was due to small supply. California, which does produce some of the finest wines in the world by the way, is not supply challenged at all. It simply found a better way to sell the "sizzle" as well as the steak. Now, Oz is following suite and the rest of the wine world gladly follows too.

Anyone else been to Porto? Best trip of my life (even beat Belgium). No city, not even the champagne cities, make tasting booze so easy. Cheap and because they are all so similar you really get an idea of the little differences that make the various ports. I'd go back there in a second.

Derek wrote:
"Kinda pricey" is a good description. While I wouldn't go out and buy a bottle a week, compared to wine, scotch or even beer, I think it's a pretty good value.

Wine is so overpriced. It's amazing how the North American industry has managed to elevate the image so far above that of the "wino".

The time and effort going into a forty dollar bottle of Port IS way beyond that of a ninety dollar Bordeaux. These are sleeper values, intrinsically worth a lot more per dollar paid and you are way ahead of the curve if you take advantage of the value. Some day great Port will be trendy and forget about it.

Re: California creating an upward spiral in pricing in 'name' wines, I can see even South America in 20 years no longer giving away its finest wines so cheaply - so much potential. Uruguay, Argentina, Chile... Names don't mean squat if the quality is there.

So I look for sleeper deals people are paying less attention to... and wines that are more 'cultural' than 'status symbol' (Madiran, Barbera D'Alba.) Wine is really fun to read about and you can learn stuff as you go. I have a big book with maps describing the sub-regions and little histories & recent developments - you can actually be a current part of ever-changing developments before certain wines become too widely sought-after. The sweet spot.

Perry any thoughts on your favorite obscure Reds (from, say Spain, Italy or the Southwest of France?)

Belgian,don't look now but there's a $96.00 bottle of red from Chile already! Its on the November Vintages release. Its from Casa L'Apostolle ( the Grand Marnier people). I bought one on spec. last week at Summerhill.
As for deals, Malbecs from Argentina are usually a good bet. One of the blending grapes from Bordeaux, Malbec gives very full bodied reds with loads of colour. Argentina is the world largest wine grape growing country by the way ( or it was until a few years ago at least.)