My wife and my favorite port maker is Prager Portworks in St. Helena, CA. Family owned and run for at least three generations I know of. They make several very good ports and Three excellent ones.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
Tawny port is good stuff. Ruby port, notsomuch.

Agree. I should've mentioned that the wines I named in my original post were tawny ports. I just fixed that omission.

My girlfriend has got me hooked on Port. Bought two bottles of Graham's 30 year, and a half dozen bottles of 2011 in Beaufort, SC this past weekend. Very good stuff! I visited Graham's website. Bad mistake. I'm on a mission!

A small glass of port with pepperoni pizza. Yum!

The more strong-flavored and bitter/tart, the better.

Dad got a $25 bottle for Christmas this year.
Tomorrow I'll check the name.
It was has a cork and should last him seven years.

The mention of Wine takes me back in time. About 30 years.

Reminds me of.......

Riunite Lambrusco.

And Candice. Sigh.

One glass of Lambrusco and she would take off her bra.

Amazing stuff that Lambrusco.

Taylor 40 - Doesn't get any better.



ETA: Once again sorry for the obnoxiously large pic. Fixed now.

I'm now familiar with three 10 yo tawny ports: Taylor Fladgate, Dow's, and Fonseca. The Taylor Fladgate is my favorite, the Dow's is a close second, and the Fonseca is a distant third (too sweet, and lacks character).

I treated myself to a bottle of 20 yo Taylor Fladgate for my birthday, but I found the 10 yo to be more to my liking (and it's much less expensive).

I currently have 13 bottles of 10 yo Taylor Fladgate in my closet, and a partially full one on my counter.

Goes to show that everyone has their own tastes. I have had the 10 year old after drinking the 20 for years, and it always tasted not quite done... The 30 doesnt appeal to me either, tasting overly sweet to me.

I keep 40's and 20's in the house at all times!

Sipping bit of 10 yo Taylor Fladgate tawny port now. Lordy, this is good stuff!

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
I have enjoyed a bit of port and madeira since my pipe and cigar smoking days (started as a pre-teen and quit when I had a heart attack at 58). May no longer smoke but I still enjoy a tipple.

Really enjoyed V. Sattui Winery maderia (from Napa Valley) back in the day ('70s). Price has risen significantly over the years to the $59/bottle it runs now.

Was on a motorcycle trip with some buddies and we did the Cali wine country and stumbled on V.Sattui vineyards,besides an awesome deli that Medeira is excellent.Can only mail order it thou.

Taylor Fladgate 40yr Tawny Port is amazing.

You owe it to yourself to taste this jewel.

Yalumba Galway Pipe. Some years back Yalumba was bought out, and Galway Pipe was no longer produced. Now it looks like it is being made again; I’ll have to see if there is a US distributor.

I got hooked on Vintage Port a couple of decades ago. Here are some of them from our wine collection.

To understand the difference between Vintage Port and Tawny Port, here's a good explanation I found on Wine Spectator: "Tawny Ports become tawny-colored from the oxidation they experience during their long maturation in porous wooden casks—generally 10 years or more, up to 40 years in some cases. They have a mellow, nutty, slightly woody, dried fruit character. Vintage Ports remain in oak barrels for only two years before bottling, and so retain their deep red/purple color and sweet, ripe fruit flavors. Made entirely from grapes of a single declared vintage year, they are usually the richest and most powerful of Ports, and age exceptionally well in the bottle."

Vintage Port grapes are rated by year of production. I'm partial to 1970, 1977 and 1997. Here's a link to grade by year: Vintage Port Grade by Year

Taylor Fladgate 20 is about the only port I buy. I love it. It's my mellow "it's been a good day and now I'm going to savor a quiet evening" drink.