Quarta 07/12/2011 AlaisdairNicol

VINHODOPORTO
UNCORKED:WHAT'SSOSTUFFYABOUTPORT?

TIMEOUT HONGKONG (ONLINE)

As the name suggests, real port can only come from Portugal and, more specifically, the Douro Valley appellation, much in the same way that champagne can only come from the Champagne region in France. The wines name, however, is usually associated with Great Britainasmanyoftheoldestandmostprestigiousquintas (think chteaux in Bordeaux or domaines in Burgundy) werefoundedbytheBritish. Essentially, port is a fortified red wine made by adding small amounts of grape spirit with a very high alcohol leveladdedduringthewinemakingprocess.Itmakesan excellent match to cheese or chocolate, but can also be enjoyed in the same way you would a Sauternes after dinner. With Christmas just around the corner, Alasdair Nicol recommends a sweeter libation to toast the holiday season Funny thing, port. Its the drink thats consigned to the end of the meal and comes loaded with an antiquated, classriddled reputation of braying blueblooded twits parroting whatever mobprodding rubbish the rightwing newspapers are peddling that day. Indeed, just the thought of a port conversation (complete with vintage cheddar cheese, cigars and severe gout) is enough to makeanybodyshudder. And yet nothing pronounces the holiday season more eloquentlythanagreatbottleofvintageport.Personally, Christmas just doesnt feel the same without a bottle by theside.Butwithsomanybrandstochoosefrom,dowe really know what to go for? And how does this delicious tippledifferfromanyotherwineonthemarket? Ifyoureanewcomertoport,herearesomehandytipsto help you better enjoy this sweet libation. Firstly, you shouldalwaystreatvintageportwiththesamerespectas you would a bottle of fine red wine. When it comes to servingporto(asthePortuguesecallit),useastandard whitewineglasswithaboutan80mlmeasureandserveit
1

On top of regular port, you can also get tawny port (fortifiedwinesfromanywhereelseintheworldnamely Australia and South Africa are usually just labelled as tawny).Thewineisagedinwoodedbarrelsandgradually exposed to oxidation and evaporation, which in turn causesareductioninvolumeandconcentrationinsugars. Tawny wines are sweet or medium dry and are often consumed as a dessert wine due to their high natural sugar content and viscosity. Officially, tawny ports are nonvintage,butmostbottlesavailableonthemarketare ablendofseveralvintageswithanaverageagebetween 10and40years.

Quarta 07/12/2011 AlaisdairNicol

VINHODOPORTO

TIMEOUT HONGKONG (ONLINE)

slightly chilled at around 12 degrees. Most importantly, onceyouve openeda bottle of vintageport, consume it withinadayortwoas,likeredwine,itwilloxidiseandgo offifleftanylonger.

your mad old uncle Percy doesnt overindulge and start braying on about why hangings not good enough for them!Otherwiseeat,drinkandbemerry! Areyoumakingalistandcheckingittwice,butstilldon't

Soallyouneedtodonowisgooutanddrinkit.Thebest you can find in Hong Kong (and by best I mean fantastically good) is Seppeltsfields aged Tawny from Australia. Grand Vintage in Central sells Seppeltsfields vintagetawniesfrom1879allthewayuptovintagesfrom the late 1980s. Its an impressive collection by any standards.Onarecentvisittothestore,GrandVintages proprietors Tony Ho and Jenny Hung let me try tawnies from 1879, 1911 and 1928. Delicious is an understatement. Theyre sweet, viscous and moreish withoutahintofbeingcloying. For those who want something a little more quaffable, theres Dows 1994 (available from Links Concept), Grahams1992(availablefromFineVintage)andTaylors 1985 (available from Jebsen Fine Wines). Youll find all theseportstobemostagreeable. But in the 21st century, why should we still care about fortifiedwine?Well,becauseportisslightlysweeterthan anynormalred;itisagreattoolfortrainingyourpalateto pick up the subtle nuances in a grape wine; and, really, once you get into it, port is a seriously seductive beverage. So, as this is Christmas, dont just go for the standard plonk.Getoutandfindyourselfadecentvintageport.It willcertainlyimpressyourfriendsattheendofthemeal andIcanalreadyenvisagetheportbottleopen,thecigars litandafullysatisfiedcrowdrelaxinginyour living room after the traditional Christmas meal. Just be careful

know what to get for cousin Bob, your mother, the new brotherinlaworthehostessataholidaypartyyou'llbe attending? Need ideas? Not to worry: I've got lots of them.Whetherthoseonyourgiftlisthavebeennaughty ornice,ifthey'rewinelovers,considerthesegiftideas. Put on your Santa hat, grab your sack and begin the journey with a visit to a local wine or liquor store. Here youcanperusetheshelvesforaunique,funnyortheme orientedbottleofwineforanewbieorasnob. Aspecialbottleofwinecanbethematicorfromaspecific countryorwineregion.Ifthepersonyouareshoppingfor isplanningorhastakenatriprecently,youcouldgethim orherabottleofwinefromthatarea. You could buy a bottle of Champagne or other sparkling wineforthat"bubbly"friendonyourlist. Whatwineloverwouldn'tenjoyabottleofwinethathas agingability?AskthestaffforhelporusetheInternetto locateanageworthybottleinanypricerange.Abottleof vintageport,Madeiraorsherryisaspecialtreatwithan Old World feeling. A nice bottle of dessert wine such as Icewine,SauternesorTokaywouldbealuscioustreatfor afriendorfamilymemberwithasweettooth. Thereareamyriadofanimalthemelabelstochoosefrom fortheanimalloveronyourlistThreeleggedDoghasa funlabelandisagreatbottleofwine,too.Wineglasses areahitwiththenewbieorsnob.Isuggestbuyingapair of specialty glasses, instead of an entire set of ordinary
2

Quarta 07/12/2011 AlaisdairNicol

VINHODOPORTO

TIMEOUT HONGKONG (ONLINE)

ones.Anelegantpairofglassesispricey,butworthevery penny. Did you know there are glasses specifically designedforwineofalmosteveryvariety? Is your sister a pinot noir lover? Get her a set of Riedel Burgundy glasses and she will never again reveal your awful childhood nickname. Riedel makes more than just stylishwineglassesmthough;italsomakesport,cognac, brandy,scotch,Champagneandeventequilaclasses. Decanters are a thoughtful gift item, especially since many people won't spend money on a nice decanter for themselves. Not only do decanters allow the wine to breathe,buttheyalsolookelegantonthetable.Youcan finddecantersinanarrayofstylesandprices.Ifthegiftis for someone special, I recommend a Riedel decanter; it willcostabitmore,butIguaranteetheywon'tregiftit! Books makeagoodchoice for the wine lover who has it all.IlovebooksasmuchasIlovewine,sowheneverIcan combine the two, it's a bonus! A novice wine drinker mightappreciateabookthateducatesonaspecificwine region, for example, "French or Italian Wine for Dummies." Every wine lover should own a copy of "The Wine Bible," considered to be the most complete wine bookever. Historybuffsmightenjoyacopyof"WineandWar,"not justanotherbookaboutWorldWarII.Thisbookisabout howtheFrenchstruggledtopreservetheircountry'smost valuable treasure from plunder by the Nazis and Vichy government. Have a dog lover on your list? Pick up a copy of "The Winery Dogs of Napa Valley," a photographic journey through the vineyards of Napa Valley and the dogs that callthemhome.

Just for fun, give a friend a copy of "Judgment of Paris," the book the movie "Bottle Shock" was based on "Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking" is both fun and informative,especiallyforsomeonewholikestothinkand "drink"outsidethebox. An abundance of stocking stuffers and hostess gifts is available.Lookforaerators,sedimentfilters,icebuckets, wine racks and bottle stoppers galore; also check out corkscrews, singlebottle wine holders, vacuumbottle sealers,winejournalsandwineglassorbottlecharms. Youcanpickupfunlittlewinegadgetsforafewdollarsto dressupabottleofwineoranothergift.Ifyoustilldon't knowwhattoget,thereisalwaysthegiftcertificate. With your shopping all done, and a smile in your eyes, you'llhaveplentyoftimetositandenjoyaglassofwine, beforeupthechimneyyourise. Kathy Smith is a coowner of Smith's Liquor Gallery and theIndependentAleHouseinRapidCity