We asked Charles for his tips on choosing the best bottle of port, and explain what we found when we tested supermarket ports.

Late Bottled Vintage(LBV) is similar to Vintage Port in that it is from a single year and made of high quality fruit. Unlike Vintage, it is bottled after a longer time in barrels, four to six years, and it’s produced every year, not just in the most outstanding years. Tawny Port begins its life as red port that has been selected for laying down in oak casks for extended aging - years of gentle oxidation in the wood turns the red port a lighter brown colour known as tawny. Aging of between 10 and 40 years produces tawny ports characterised by their smoothness and the aroma and taste of spice, dried fruit and nuttiness. The former, without exposure to air, experience what is known as "reductive" ageing. This process leads to the wine losing its color very slowly and produces a wine that is smoother on the palate and less tannic.In 1756 the Douro Valley became the world’s first wine appellation when the Portuguese government officially set its geographical boundaries. (I know, you would think France was first, but no! Long live port!) Terroir

Tawny ports will last about 1 month if stored in the fridge. (Their oxidation means they have a longer shelf-life.) The accidental origin of late bottled vintage has led to more than one company claiming its invention. The earliest known reference to a style of port with this name in a merchant's list is to be found in The Wine Society's catalogue from 1964, which includes Fonseca's Quinta Milieu 1958, bottled in the UK, also in 1964. By the 1962 vintage, LBV was being produced in Portugal and bottled as LBV. Stevenson, Tom (2007). The Sotheby's wine encyclopedia. Sotheby's (4thed.). New York, N.Y.: DK. ISBN 978-0-7566-3164-2. OCLC 148799493. A recurring theme in the novels of Anthony Trollope is the partiality of respectable elderly ladies for port, which they excuse on the grounds that it is "medicinal". Reserve tawny port (produced by Borges, Calem, Croft, Cruz, Graham, Kopke, and other houses) has been aged about seven years. [11]After all this aging, the tannins breakdown and we’re left with velvety smoothness and mellowed nuanced flavors. What food pairs with Tawny Port?

Port is one of the world’s greatest fortified sweet wines, yet getting a handle on its many styles and knowing which type to buy can be difficult. You might think port lasts forever after it’s been opened, but sadly that’s not the case, though it differs by type. An after dinner port at its best with strong cheeses, very mature cheddar or the kind of camembert you have to keep outside in the shed!Labelling of wine and certain other wine sector products". Eur-Lex. European Union . Retrieved 18 June 2023. This dark, unctuous drink is fabulous at the end of a meal, poured over ice-cream or served in a glass as an accompaniment to a chunk of dark chocolate, a gooey brownie or an airy souffle. Each bottle of port contains several different types of grape and may even be from several different vineyards!