Port by style

What distinguishes the port styles

Port is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. During fermentation, grape spirit is added, which stops the fermentation and leaves natural sweetness in the wine. The style depends mainly on how and for how long the port matures. Ruby matures briefly in large casks and stays fresh, fruity and deep red. Tawny matures longer in smaller casks, comes into contact with oxygen and turns amber, with notes of nuts and caramel.

Colheita is tawny from a single harvest year, matured in wood for at least seven years. Vintage port comes only from exceptional years, matures further in the bottle and often needs decanting. Late Bottled Vintage is port from a single year that spends four to six years in cask and is ready to drink straight away. White port is made from white grapes and is often drunk with tonic and ice. Below, for each style, you can see which bottles are in the shop. Ruby, tawny and white port keep well for a few weeks after opening if the bottle is stored cool and sealed. Vintage port is best drunk within a few days of opening. With cheese, chocolate or nuts, port is a firm classic; a white port with tonic is a light aperitif for a summer afternoon.