From Faith — I call port the pizza of dessert wines and I mean it in the best way; everyone seems to love it. We especially love these two for their quality at this price point. As your guests take a sip you’ll see smiles all around, whether you’re by the fire or pairing port with dessert or a cheese course. (We had both with it on the show.) There are cheap, cloying ports for ten dollars, and there are rare vintage ports selling for hundreds of dollars per bottle. These two represent a value price point.
Tip: Be sure to tell your wine shop that the worldwide distributor is Frederick Wildman & Sons. Take the labels to the store on your smartphone!
Churchill’s Finest Ruby Port, $20
This one’s rich and red in color, complex as the aroma wafts upward and you might begin to smell and taste notes of Portugal’s Tinta Roriz old vine grapes and orange peel. The winemaker blends several grape varietals and then ages the juice in seasoned oak casks for a decade before bottling. Beautiful with Brie and Camembert cheeses or fruit pies. Nice acidity and ready to drink now.
Churchill’s Ten Years Old Tawny Port, $30
And this is a house blend of grapes grown in Portugal, using premium wines that make up Churchill’s more expensive Vintage Ports. It tastes like dried fruit with a hint of caramel. We drank it while we had walnuts, Stilton cheese and more than our share of chocolate truffles. Wonderful paired this way, or just as a fine way to end an evening, saying, “How lucky are we?”
