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Port: English or Portuguese?
Real Port of course comes only from the upper reaches of the Douro River in Portugal, not California or Australia, certainly not England's chill and foggy clime.
January 4, 2012
In the days before central heating, imbibing it was northerners' way of drinking bottled southern sun.
When people talked about English versus Portuguese port, they talked about the owners of the Port Houses across the Douro from Oporto where the wines are blended and aged. The English houses, founded by traders from London and Bristol, were supposed to produce finer, more aristocratic, wines. The Houses owned by Portuguese were lesser but sweeter.
You can easily guess which nationality made the distinction. We can’t tell now how valid it may have been, but in this week’s tasting, you can decide for yourself whether it's true or not now. We’ll pit three ports from two of the finest English houses, Taylor and Fonseca, against those of one of the best Portuguese, Ramos-Pinto.
We’ll start with our favorite aged red port (or young tawny as you prefer, the soft sweet red-brown Ramos-Pinto Collector.
We’ll then try the Taylor 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Port (or LBV) against the 2005 Ramos-Pinto, both softer, more ready versions of long-lived red vintage ports.
The Fonseca Ten Year Tawny will introduce the barrel -aged tawny ports and lead up a head-to-head tasting of Taylor and Ramos Pinto which are two of our favorite 20 Year Tawnies. Many people feel that twenty year tawnies, blends of wines that have spent an average twenty years in barrel, have the best balance between fruit and wood flavors. we certainly like both of these
Even if you leave undecided, we promise you will leave the tasting warmer than when you came in.
The Ramos-Pinto ports are on sale as long as quantities last. We also have special Wednesday only Day of Tasting prices on all the ports offered at the tasting. You need not come to the tasting for these - we will take phone or email orders.
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve by email here: Orders
The Federal Wine Journeyman Restaurant Wine Seminar
Third Edition - Bordeaux; the Right Bank
Monday, January 16 6:00
Fourth Edition - Bordeaux; the Left Bank
Monday, January 30 6:00
9 Sanborn Court, Union Square
Somerville, MA 02143
Reservations (617) 718-2333 or eat@journeymanrestaurant.com
The next two Journeyman wine seminars will focus on Bordeaux.
All Bordeaux is divided into two parts. On January 16th, we will focus on the Right Bank that large area to the east of the Garonne River whose best known regions are St. Emilion and Pomerol. There Merlot tends to be a larger part of the blend than Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and there are many interesting newer-style wineries.
On the 30th we will take on the Left Bank, those areas like the Medoc and Graves to the west of the Garonne where Cabernet the Sauvignon is the noble grape for reds, sauvignon Blanc for whites, and Semillon for sweet wines of Sauternes.
Each seminar will be a tasting of eight to ten wines of a region or type with my opinionated, some would say knowledgeable commentary, followed by a family-style dinner with a glass of regional wine.
Although no prior knowledge is required, I promise you this will not be the adult ed version of wine tasting. The subject is too interesting for that.
The cost of the seminar and dinner will be $95 per person which includes wine and food, but not tax or gratuity.
Please pass this on to any friends who are wine enthusiasts.
We offer Free Delivery in Greater Boston
(c) Federal Wine and Spirits Inc. 2012