Port wine is a beloved style of sweet fortified wine from Oporto in Portugal’s Douro Valley. This ancient wine dates back to the late 1600s when wine lovers in England started drinking red wine from the Douro. The journey down the Douro River was long and slow, and sometimes the wine spoiled along the way. Innovative importers started adding brandy to the wine to help preserve it. Eventually, fortifying Port wines with brandy during the fermentation became a common way to create a sweet wine with lots of aging potential.
More than 80 of Portugal’s native grapes can be used to make Port, with Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz being some of the most common choices. Depending on the mix of grapes and the aging, Port wine comes in many different styles, from White Port to amber-colored Tawny Port to deep red Ruby Port.
In its earliest history, British gentlemen enjoyed sipping chilled Port while smoking cigars after dinner –– or as often as possible. Port importer Percy Croft famously noted, “Any time not drinking Port is a waste of time.” Today, Port is enjoyed by everyone throughout the meal and in creative cocktails that showcase this wine’s stunning versatility.
Our favorite ways to serve Port
Are you wondering how to serve Port? It turns out there are many ways to enjoy it. Port is delectable on its own, chilled slightly to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and served in a small, tulip-shaped wine glass. But Port is also a versatile wine that shines in cocktails and with desserts of all sorts.
Start with a Port aperitif
If you’re dining out in Lisbon or Oporto, a glass of White Port is a perfect way to pique your appetite and prepare for dinner. A glass of dry White Port paired with green olives, tinned fish, and cheese makes a tasty appetizer.
On a recent trip to Vila Nova de Gaia, the town across from Oporto where many Port houses age their wines, we discovered Portônica at the Quevedo tasting room. The cocktail, aka Porto Tonico or Portonic, is a refreshing riff on the classic gin & tonic, with white Port standing in for gin. We’ve also seen a Pink Portônica made with Rosé Port.
Portônica Cocktail
Ingredients
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2 ounces dry White Port
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4 ounces tonic water
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Lemon or orange slice for garnish
In a rocks glass filled with ice, add the White Port. Top with tonic water and garnish with a slice of lemon or orange.
Variation: Use the quantities above, but substitute Rosé Port and garnish with a lime.
Mix up some Port cocktails
Port makes a fine stand-in for traditional cocktail ingredients, including red and white vermouth, Lillet, and gin. Here are a few ideas on how to refresh classic drinks with Port.
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Martini: Swap dry white Port for the vermouth in this classic gin cocktail
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Vesper: Exchange the Lillet for White Port in James Bond’s original martini made with gin and vodka.
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Port Collins: In this cooling whiskey Collins, Port adds depth and a hint of sweetness.
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Ruby Roy: This variation on the classic Rob Roy pairs Scotch with sweet Ruby Port.
Try these Port dessert ideas
Since most Port is sweet, it’s natural for pairing with fruits, cheeses, and many popular desserts.
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Sweet White Port is lovely with lighter choices like raspberry sorbet, mango mousse, strawberry shortcake, or peach pie.
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Rosé Port’s delicate berry notes and acidity will complement fruit salads, berry cheesecake, creme brûlée, or lemony desserts.
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Tawny Port is delicious with aged Gouda cheese, toffee, pecan pie, shortbread, spice cakes, and anything made with bananas.
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Ruby Port’s berry flavors make it the perfect partner for any chocolate from milk to dark. It’s also excellent with berry pies and blue cheese. Or try poaching pears in a mix of Ruby Port, cinnamon sticks, and cloves.
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Vintage and Late-Bottled Vintage Ports can have intense flavors of coffee and caramel that sing with blue cheese-stuffed dates, fruitcake, fig tarts and cookies, caramel pecan tart, and tiramisu. Or why not make an affogato that drowns vanilla ice cream in Vintage Port instead of coffee?
We hope you’ve enjoyed discovering how to drink Port wine in all its styles and expressions. To explore further, check out our guides and articles on dessert wine and types of Port wine, as well as the wine sweetness chart.
