The serving becomes an art...

Serving a Port wine demands, except for the ritual ceremony, at least as much attention as one gives to all great wines.

At what temperature do you serve it ? In room temperature? (A minor offence) Lightly chilled - one hour in the refrigerator - for a Ruby or a Twany. Never ice which brutally neutralise its taste.

In what glass ? Any medium size glasses with a foot - as the name say "à porto". What's important is that the glass is thin, preferably in crystal, and with a slightly rounded form in order to keep the aromas as long as possible.

The presentation of Port wine in a carafe leaves a sophistication. It is a pleasure of the eye foremost, but it is also in order to let the wine breath, to free its aromas after imprisonment in the bottle. Don't worry, a Twany lasts for two months.

Serving Port Wine in a carafe :
a refine tradition.

However, the carafe is indispensable when one serve the old Vintages.
One must thus decant the wine..
Eliminate the crust of deposit, which normaly formes in the bottle during ageing, is the point of the decanting.

...the consumption, a sophistication.

The Port can be drunk at any time during the day.
As appetizer of course, but also on many other occasions.
Here is some gourmet suggestions.

As an appetizer :
A white Port is served chilled, on its own or with tonic and some ice. Olives and fresh almonds will accompany it with exhilaration. A red Port call for less trivial companions. Hazelnut, walnut, cashew nut and almonds fits spontaneously with its bouquet of dried fruits. The appetisers for cheese puts an emphasis on the value of fruitiness and the finesse of the taste. The toasts with foie gras brings out its natural distinction.

During the Meal :
A Port wine during the meal ? For sure, this wine known as sweet is married to the salty food. Not any kind, of course. Also try these two smart alliances : with a "foie gras" or a "canard aux fruits, the Port will be the rival of elegance.

With the cheese :
The Port seduces all the cheeses to persiled pate - Roquefort, Bleu de Bresse, Fourme d'Ambert, Stilton - as well as those with pā;te cuite, with a rather neutral taste. Gruyère, Vieux Hollande, Cantal, Pyrénées and Tomme puts a value to its fruitiness and distinction.

To the desert :
The Port goes with all light deserts that are not so sweet : fruit salad sabayons, fruit or chocolat mousse, charlotte and red fruit tart...
What to avoid : sorbet ice-cream which hides the taste, and heavy cakes which suffocate its subtlety.

After :
For those who know, a great Port wine - A Vintage or an old Twany - is to be drunk after the meal, a grand final to a privileged dinner. After the coffee, just like a great cognac, is neither a bad way of ending an evening ?

A mariage unusual but deliious :
Roquefort and a Port wine.