Where can one buy port wine?

Generally, in bigger cities port wine is easily found. Any well-stocked wine store, liquor store or wine merchant will have ports. There are actually nine varieties of port, so it is necessary to research and find out which sounds appealing to the consumer before buying. There are a lot of differences in how the ports are made, and the price can range from economical to very expensive. According to Brian Hays, a chef and culinary instructor at Austin Community College, a really good vintage port wine bottle might cost $100, but it will be worth the price. "I keep a bottle in my house for sipping," says Hays. Typically, port wines are not sold in grocery stores. If so, it would have to be a specialty grocery store, one that specializes in items that are not at your typical grocery store.

When looking at a port wine bottle to buy, read the labels. Many producers provide a bottling date on the back label in small type. One needs to know the bottling date to ensure that the bottle has not sat in a warehouse for quite some time. If not, then the port wine will not be as enjoyable. The taste will lack in quality and will be musty. This rule applies to any type of port wine, even vintage port wines.

Consider when the wine will be enjoyed before buying a port because certain types of ports should not be kept in a bottle for long. Ruby ports should not be stored for very long because they risk losing their vitality, says Vino.com, a website that specializes in international wines. Also, young tawny should not be kept in a bottle for very long either. Only vintage ports age well in a bottle due to the high tannin content. Port wines are supposed to be drunk when they reach 10, 20 or more years of age. As with any wine, a port should be stored on its side so the cork does not dry out. All port wines should be protected from direct light, heat and vibrations.

Ruby port wine is the most economical because it is non-vintage, which means it wasn't blended for several years. The price typically ranges from $10 to $20 and is a good starting point for a beginner. Vintage port wine is the most expensive. One hundred dollars a bottle is the common price, and it is considered rougher to the palette compared to ruby port. Before the port wine is enjoyed, the wine should be decanted, which means to pour off the wine without disturbing the sediment and to pour from one container into another. Once it is transferred into a crystal decanter, it must be left to breathe. This is for vintage wines that have been left to age for decades. "Except for vintage port wine, it may be served chilled but never on the rocks," says vino.com. "White port wine, when mixed with tonic water, ice and a slice of lemon, is a delightful long drink in warm weather."

Port is a full-bodied wine and is very sweet because of the sugar content. Two or three ounces of the wine are plenty. "Paired with chocolate, the sugars in the dessert and the port cancel each other out, so it doesn't taste as sweet, it actually tastes better, "says Hays.