Tidings Magazine

I have never understood why Port, always known as “the Englishman’s drink,” has not been more popular here in Canada. Surely, with our brutal winters, we need its heart-warming qualities even more than the English do. It appears, though, that Canadians are increasingly discovering the joys of this elixir. Interestingly enough, Quebecers are the runaway leaders in Port consumption in Canada.

Port, more than any other wine in the world, was created by politics. It has an entertaining, though somewhat disreputable, history. It was a crudely improvised expedient foisted on the English by their politicians during the long period of hostilities with France. As Hugh Johnson recounts in The Story of Wine, “They had two motives: an embargo on imports from enemy France, which of course included wine, and a brazen intention to take advantage of an old ally, Portugal.” Early versions of Port were dull table wines and no substitute for the Englishman’s accustomed drink of Claret (red Bordeaux).

 

Firm and erect the Highland chieftain stood,
Sweet was his mutton and his Claret good.
Thou shalt drink Port,” the English statesman cried.
He drank the poison, and his spirit died.  

 

Be sometimes to your country true,
Have once the public good in view;
Bravely despise Champagne at court
And choose to dine at home with Port. 

In the early eighteenth century, wine merchants began adding brandy to Port. This was likely intended to kill the bugs produced by the unsanitary winemaking conditions (use of poorly cured wineskins for one thing); to preserve it for shipping — or perhaps, to kill the awful taste. At any rate, this practice, at first deplored, became more refined. Eventually it resulted in the most heart-warming drink known to humanity. Port as we now know it was born.

With the exception of relatively inexpensive Ruby Ports, the “true” stuff has become rather pricey. Producers in South Africa, Australia and California have come up with a number of “Ports” of their own. The question is, has anyone really come close to duplicating the real thing? So far, I am afraid that nothing quite measures up to the unique qualities of true Port. It is like Champagne, which has many New World imitators, who have produced quite lovely sparkling wines by the same methods and with the same grapes as in Champagne but still fall short of the original.

For my money, South African styles come closest. Serious Port production has been going on there for a long time and several fine producers make very good Tawny and Vintage Port styles. Celebrated specialists such as De Krans, in the Klein Karoo, have been planting all the classic Portuguese varieties since 1985. Others like Boplaas Wine Cellars, J. P. Bredell and Overgaauw all make serious, age-worthy wines using authentic varieties and methods. More widely available is the entry level Tawny Port from KWV Cellars. Though inexpensive, it has an authentic Tawny character and it is not excessively sweet. KWV Ports in the $20–$30 range represent good quality and value. 

Ficklin, in California’s San Joaquin Valley, have also been making more or less authentic Port styles since the 1940s. Another Californian producer, Kunde Estate, has applied Port methods to make a “Port” using Zinfandel. It is enjoyable in its own right but hardly the real thing. I have yet to taste a “Port” from either California or from Australia that comes as close as South African versions to that unique combination of power, sweetness, with the fiery warming sensation on the finish. That will be my wish for the New Year.