| I had a friend in college whose life's goal | | | | |
| was to move to France, don a beret, stomp on | | | | With Port wine, after fermentation begins, |
| grapes, and make wine for a living. Though I | | | | timing takes over. Once half of the grape's |
| tried to tell her that there was more to | | | | sugar has been converted, fermentation must |
| wine-making than purple feet, and that berets | | | | be stopped. In order to do this, the wine is |
| were so "Clinton Administration," she ignored | | | | mixed with clear brandy (a strong alcoholic |
| me and dreamt of grapes anyway. Though I did | | | | spirit distilled from wine) containing a |
| not share her winemaking aspirations and | | | | proof of 150. The alcohol in the brandy kills |
| decided instead to dream of something much | | | | the yeast in the wine, causing fermentation |
| more realistic, like a marriage proposal from | | | | to cease. The ending result is a sweet wine |
| Brad Pitt, she did get me thinking about the | | | | that is about 20 percent alcohol. It is |
| process, and she got me thirsty for | | | | typically served with desserts, cheese, and, |
| knowledge. This eventually led me to discover | | | | of course, desserts made of cheese. |
| different types of wine require different | | | | |
| recipes, with one of the most complex | | | | Though there are many styles of Port - White |
| belonging to Port. | | | | Port, Ruby Port, Young Tawny Port, Aged Tawny |
| | | | Port, Vintage Character Port, Late Bottled |
| Prior to actually reading about making Port, | | | | Vintage Port, Traditional Late Bottled |
| I was under the impression that all it | | | | Vintage Port, Vintage Port, Single Quinta |
| involved was people stepping on grapes in | | | | Vintage Port, Crusted Port, and Garrafeira |
| bare feet. Because of this, I often worried | | | | Port - most styles fall into two broad |
| that I would be drinking Tinta Barroca, and | | | | categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because |
| find floating in my glass a human toenail or | | | | doing the tiniest thing different will result |
| perhaps a foot corn. But, in truth, | | | | in a different taste of wine, the two Port |
| port-making is a lengthy, complicated | | | | processes greatly dictate the flavorful |
| process. | | | | outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally |
| | | | behave like wine on Botox, keeping their |
| Port wine, also known as Vinho do Porto, | | | | color and their fruitiness well into |
| Porto, or Porto wine, is a fortified wine | | | | maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor |
| that comes from the Douro Valley in the | | | | quickly. They are ready to drink right away. |
| northern lands of Portugal. Produced in | | | | |
| Portugal since the mid 15th Century, Port | | | | The best Ports to know, the ones to introduce |
| gained popularity in England after the | | | | yourself to before sending them down your |
| Methuen Treaty of 1703. While this treaty did | | | | esophagus, are the Taylor Fladgate Tawny |
| war-related things reserved for history | | | | Port, W. & J. Graham's Tawny Port, Smith |
| books, in regards to wine it caused England | | | | Woodhouse Vintage Character Port, Niepoort |
| to become an adopted family for Port, with | | | | Vintage Port, Quinta do Infantado Single |
| Portugal being the biological parents. | | | | Quinta Vintage Port, and Adriano Ramos-Pinto |
| | | | Late Bottled Vintage Port. |
| There is no easy way to make Port: no kind | | | | |
| comes in a packet with "just add water" | | | | As demonstrated, the process of making Port |
| instructions. Instead, the process initially | | | | is not as simple as one might imagine; it |
| involves picking grapes, smashing them, and | | | | involves a little more than simply visiting a |
| then placing them in an automated tank where | | | | vineyard, and being met with thousands of |
| they are further chopped into tiny pieces. | | | | grapes shouting, "Pick me! Pick me!" And, it |
| After remaining in this tank for nearly | | | | involves more than taking off your tennis |
| twenty-four hours, the grapes begin to | | | | shoes and having a smashing good time. After |
| ferment and their sugar climbs the food | | | | a careful, lengthy process, the smashing good |
| chain, turning into alcohol. | | | | time will follow. |