Port wine explained: types, tastings and the Gaia cellars

Port is a fortified wine: grape spirit is added during fermentation, which stops it, leaving natural sweetness and raising the alcohol. The grapes are grown in the Douro Valley, and much of the wine has traditionally been aged in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto.

The main styles

White port

Made from white grapes, from dry to sweet. In Porto it is often served long, with tonic, ice and a slice of orange, as an aperitif.

Ruby

Young, deep red and fruity, aged for a short time in large vats to keep its fresh berry flavours.

Tawny

Aged for longer in smaller wooden casks, where it slowly turns amber and takes on nutty, caramel notes. Aged tawnies carry an indication of age, such as 10 or 20 years.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)

A wine from a single year, aged in wood for several years before bottling. Richer than a ruby, and good value.

Vintage

Made only in exceptional years, bottled young and aged in the bottle for decades. The most prized, and usually the most expensive, style.

How to taste port

• Serve white and tawny ports lightly chilled, and rubies and vintage ports at cool room temperature.
• Use a small wine glass, not a tiny thimble, so you can smell the wine.
• Try tawny with nuts, cheese or desserts, and ruby with chocolate or blue cheese.

Where to try it

The best place to start is a cellar tour in Vila Nova de Gaia, where many port houses show you their cellars and finish with a tasting. Wine bars in Porto offer tasting flights, and a day in the Douro Valley shows you where the grapes are grown.