White port

White port is port made from white grapes. Like red port, it comes exclusively from the Região Demarcada do Douro, the demarcated wine region along the Douro river. The IVDP describes port as wine whose fermentation is halted by the addition of aguardente, an alcohol of vine-growing origin. The alcohol percentage is therefore usually between 18 and 22 percent.

Which grapes go into the bottle differs from house to house. Taylor’s names malvasia fina as the main grape of its Chip Dry. For Blend N° 5, Graham’s uses mainly malvasia fina and moscatel galego, and fortifies with neutral grape brandy of 77 percent to 19 percent alcohol.

These are the sweetness designations for white port. The IVDP lists extra seco, seco, meio seco, doce and muito doce or lágrima, from extra dry to very sweet. How sweet the wine becomes depends on the moment at which the producer fortifies: the earlier the alcohol is added, the more grape sugar remains.

The IVDP links the designations to sugar levels. Seco stands for roughly 40 to 65 grams of sugar per litre, meio seco for 65 to 90 grams, doce for 90 to 130 grams and muito doce for more than 130 grams. Taylor’s explains that with Chip Dry the brandy is added later, when a large part of the sugar has already been converted into alcohol.

Yes. As with tawny, there is white port with an age statement. The IVDP names the categories 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 80 years and VVO (Very Very Old). Such a wine is a blend of different wines that have matured in wood, usually in pipas, the traditional wooden casks.

The IVDP also recognises Reserva Branco, with at least six years of wood ageing, and white colheita from a single harvest year, with at least seven years in wood. With colheita, the harvest year and bottling year are on the label. For aged white port the IVDP recommends serving at 10 to 14 degrees; once opened it keeps for one to four months, if stored cool.

White port with tonic is a well-known aperitif from Portugal. The IVDP describes the Portonic as dry white port with tonic, ice and a slice of lemon in a tall glass. In its product sheet for Blend N° 5, Graham’s mentions a measure of 50 millilitres of white port, topped up with tonic, plenty of ice and lemon and mint as garnish.

Taylor’s suggests pouring Chip Dry over ice, topping up with tonic and finishing with a leaf of fresh mint. According to Taylor’s, Chip Dry was first blended in 1934, as the first dry white aperitif port. Ordinary white port keeps for roughly eight to twenty days in the fridge after opening, according to the IVDP.

All the white port in the shop comes from Portugal. Most of it comes from Ramos Pinto, including Ramos Pinto Porto White, Ramos Pinto Lágrima and the Adriano Reserva White. From Ferreira there are Ferreira Branco and Ferreira Branco Seco on the shelf, from Graham’s the Blend N° 5 White Port.

You will also find Kopke Fine White Port and Kopke Very Old Dry White Port, Delaforce White Port, Offley Fine White and a white port from F. Martins. That way you can choose between a dry port for the tonic, a sweet lágrima or an older white. If you are unsure which bottle suits, call the shop or drop by at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.