Cozy Up With Ruby And Tawny

I recently was reminded how genteel it is to sit by a fire, sipping a nice, ruby-red glass of Port wine with friends, feeling its warm glow spread from my head to my toes.

I love Port because of its variety both in flavor and color -- some Ports glow bright, tawny amber while others have a fire that is nearly deep purple. The flavor can vary from quite sweet to very dry. And because they are higher in alcohol than most other wines (usually 19 to 22 percent alcohol by volume), Ports really do lend themselves to slow sipping after a meal and over a good conversation.

Port's background is almost as colorful as the potion itself: Port takes its name from the Portuguese city of Oporto, which is situated at the mouth of the Rio Douro -- or River of Gold. The wine can only be called Port if it is produced in the Demarcated Region of the Rio Duoro, very much the same way that Champagne can only be called such if it comes from the Champagne region of France -- all other bubbly gets the "sparkling wine" moniker.

There are many styles of Port, but two broad categories define the wine -- bottle-aged or cask-aged. Bottle-aged Ports are meant to spend some time in the bottle before they are sipped. They keep their original color (or thereabouts) and often maintain fruitiness well into maturity. Cask-aged Ports become tawny in color, thanks to years spent in wooden barrels. After their time "in wood," cask-aged Ports are filtered and bottled. Once they are in the bottle, they are ready to drink right away.

Winnowing out what's what in Ports can be a bit daunting, so here are a few of the more common styles:

Ruby is the most basic and least expensive style of Port. But don't let a smaller price tag fool you. There are some really nice Rubies out there. Ruby is a blend from several harvests. The wine usually spends about two years in stainless steel or wooden barrels before being bottled. Often, these Ports are sold under a house brand, not with the term Ruby on the label.

White Port is made from white grapes. It can be sweet or dry, depending on how long it was aged in wooden casks. The longer the aging, the more tawny the color. Often served slightly chilled, white Ports are often consumed as an aperitif.

Tawny Ports are aged for several years in wooden barrels before they are bottled. Though some tawny is a mixture of ruby and white Ports, better tawny Ports have acquired their amber brown to golden color from longer time on wood. Aged Tawny Ports are a step up, usually available in 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-year ages -- and the higher the age, the higher the price tag.

Late Bottled Vintage (or LBV) Ports are from a single vintage. Red in color, full-bodied and smooth, LBVs are aged four to six years, then fined and filtered before bottling. They can be aged in your cellar for a while or enjoyed right away.

Vintage Port is produced from grapes grown in exceptional years from distinct areas within the region. (If a year isn't as good, the Port often becomes an LBV). Vintage Port is kept in wood for several years before it is bottled. It is the finest and most expensive of the Port styles -- truly among the most sought-after wines in the world.

In fact, Vintage Port, which consists of only about 2 percent all the Port produced in the world, is so rare that this author has yet to have the privilege of enjoying one. (Sigh.)

In the meantime, however, there are many wonderful Ports to explore. So, stoke the fire, invite a few special friends over and pour a Port of your choice. You (and your pals) will be glad you did.

Lisa Morrison's Liquid Solutions column won her a national Beer Journalism Award in October 2004. You can reach her at lisa@ibsys.com. E-mail invitations offering a taste of a Vintage Port get special consideration.