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By The Glass By David Martin |
Wind up
a fine dinner
with some portAn exquisite dessert wine can add a finishing touch to a fine dining experience.
Port wine is a popular example, a wine that can be enjoyed by itself or accompanied by a scrumptious dessert.
Port takes its name from the city of Oporto in Northern Portugal. The Touiga Nacional grape, used in creating port, lends a deep color and longevity to the vintage.
Although port comes in a variety of styles, two broad categories define it -- bottle-aged or cask-aged. The two processes produce very distinct wines. Bottle-aged ports retain their color and fruitiness as the wine matures. Cask-aged ports lose much of their color and become tawny. These ports are aged in wood and then filtered and bottled, ready to drink right away.
In my line of work, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to taste and experiment with a wide variety of wines. These three particular ports rate high in aroma, taste and value:
Fonseca Bin 27 ($18.99): A ruby port, produced from a blend of wines aged between two to four years in oak barrels. The port is robust and velvety with a dominance of red and black fruits. Fonseca Bin 27 is perfect for an after-dinner chat with a favorite slice of cheese .
Taylor Fladgate LBV 1994 ($16.99): A marked licorice aroma dominates black fruit along with plum and anise flavors. The Taylor Fladgate is a superb complement to a decadent chocolate dessert, perhaps served with vanilla ice cream for an irresistible finale!
Taylor Fladgate 20-Year-Old Tawny ($49.99): Amber in color with subtle fruit nuances underlying nutty, caramel flavors and a long, balanced finish, this port is superb with foie gras, cheeses, nuts and desserts based on nuts, caramel, coffee and chocolate. Savor it with a classic velvet cake and whipped cream.
David Martin is regional general manager for Morton's, the Steakhouse, Honolulu. "By the Glass" is a weekly lesson in food and wine pairing, written by a rotating panel of local professionals.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals. Write to features@starbulletin.com
