AIrving

Last updated 00:00, Thursday, 20 December 2007

PASS the port, please – there’s been a vigorous marketing campaign to give it a whole new sexy image (like sherry) after it unjustly acquired the reputation as a tipple for old fogies in gentleman’s clubs, or as an excuse for the ladies to adjourn to the drawing room.

In fact, it was once written that “port is not a woman’s drink” unless drunk with lemon, coco-cola or, believe it or not, Benolyn!

Some of the girls in the office tell me it still isn’t sexy enough... just a bit old fashioned, something the men folk drink with their cigars! And what on earth would you drink it with?

My answer is nothing – it’s absolutely fine and delicious neat.

Port is actually Portuguese wine with brandy introduced with a truly seductive taste of damson and plums or nuts.

It does have the reputation of being an after dinner drink to be enjoyed with a cigar, but for me it goes better with cheese than most red wines and, of course, the classic combination is port and white stilton.

It can be drunk at any time of the year, even chilled, and is a great alternative to expensive cognac or a good malt.

Port can be sweetish, fruity and nutty, depending on which type you choose, but the best are smooth and velvety.

And unless you really must mix it with lemon, then go for either a tawny or a late bottled vintage (LBV).

One of the best LBVs, if not currently the best on the shelves this Christmas (I found it in Morrisons) has been awarded the gold medal at the 2007 International Wine Challenge for being the best port of its type.

It’s Graham’s late bottled vintage 2001 and for a wine of this class comes as cheap as chips, especially compared to what’d you pay for a full-blown vintage port.

The difference is that true vintage port is made only two or three times a decade, it can be declared only if it’s the product of a single, exceptional year, and can take up to 15 years or more in the bottle to reach its peak. Then it will have to be decanted because of the crust or sediment which has built up while maturing. You will then need a candle so you can see to stop pouring once the crust appears (pouring through muslin is much easier). And after all that you will need to drink the nectar pretty quickly because it evaporates in the decanter and others get accused of taking more than their fair share! If you can be bothered by all this palaver, it is nevertheless a rewarding experience.

You don’t have any of that fuss with an LBV. Even though it’s not considered quite good enough by the growers to be declared a vintage, it is still very fine stuff, sharing many of the characteristics, actually spending more time in the vats, up to six years before bottling, and doesn’t need decanting. Once opened, it also lasts a lot longer.

Likewise, the tawny port. This is a also a big favourite, the aristocrat of the wood ports. Because it’s aged longer in oak, the wine changes colour from rugby-purple to orange-brick or tawny, with a softer taste likened to raisins and nuts. And perfect for chilling.

Taylor’s do a particularly good tawny, usually from 10 to 20 years of age.

But you can’t go far wrong if you opt for other familiar names such as Cockburns, Dow’s, Warre’s, Sandeman, and Fonseca.

Port is for drinking all year round and forget the other old fashioned notion that there will be the devil to pay if it’s not passed round clockwise.

As for fine cognac and malts, there’s pounds knocked off, as with champagne.

Pay as much as you like, but if you don’t want to break the Christmas budget then I will stick with my recommendation of last year and the year before: Tesco’s premier cru – it’s just under over £14 and beat all those “posh” names to the gold medal!