What are the differences between Port and Sherry?
Sherry and Port are the most common dessert wines.There is a guide to dessert wines from Portugal and Spain.
Port and Sherry are popular dessert wines.If you don't have a sweet tooth, there's a dessert wine out there.You have to keep trying different styles and levels if you want to find something you like eventually.
Port and Sherry are fortified wines.Some of the wines are sweet because the grapes are ripe.Sometimes the grapes are left on the vine to either dry out or freeze, which concentrates the sugars and flavours.Alcohol is added at some point during production.Understanding the differences and similarities in the styles is an important step in figuring out what kind of wine you like to drink.
fortified wines have alcohol added to them.At some point during the production process, alcohol is added.Fortified Wines include Sherry and Port.You can learn more about how fortified wines are made.
Sherry is a dessert wine.It can be dry, sweet or both.White grapes are used for the base wine.Sherry is usually made using the Palomino grape variety.Sherry can be sweetened if alcohol is added after the ageing process is complete.It is aged in old barrels using the solera system which blends young wines with older wines.
Each type of Sherry has different production processes and regions.There are different styles of Sherry and how they are made.
Light and pale in colour with 15% alcohol by volume.Fino Sherry has notes of pastry as well as citrus and nutty flavours because of the production method.Don't cellar and serve chilled.
The Fino-style Sherry was only made in Sanlcar de Barrameda.Drier than Fino Sherry.It's best to serve it chilled.
Fino Sherry was aged.More grape spirit is added than with Fino Sherry.It was deeper in colour than Fino.Almond and toffee have more intense flavours.It's a good idea to serve it slightly chilled.
Fortified to 20%.It is dry with rich flavours of coffee, dried fruit and nuts.The shires will be kept for a few weeks after opening.It's a good idea to serve at room temperature.
A Sherry made from grapes.The grapes are sun-dried to make them sweeter.Sherry is often used as a sweetening agent, but may also be seen as single varietal Sherry.
Port is a dessert wine that is named after the city of Oporto in Portugal.There are fortified wines from all over the world, but only Port from Portugal has Porto on the label.Like Sherry, there are many different styles of Port with different flavours, but the one thing all Port has in common is that it is sweet.Here are the basics of the port.
Porto has the beat of Sherry styles by a mile.The styles and flavours of Port can get a little confusing with so many different grape varieties available.Here is a description of each style.
This style of Port has lots of ripe fruit flavours and is ready to drink now.It won't benefit from further aging in the bottle.
Similar to Reserve Ruby Port, but the grapes are from a single vintage.The fruit has a strong flavour.
Premium Ruby Port is not from a single vintage.Taylor Fladgate or Six Grapes are examples of a signature style for the winery.Good value and rich style.
The grapes come from a single harvest.This style of Port has a shorter time in oak barrels before it is bottled.
The grapes from these Ports come from the best vineyards.The leather and fruit flavours are intense.They can be enjoyed young, but should be cellared to make them less bitter.
The grapes from Single Quinta Vintage Port come from a single estate.The very best vineyard isn't always the best vintage.They are less expensive than vintage Port and more accessible in their youth.
It's not vintage.Inexpensive.There is a simple fruit and flavour.White Port can be added to adjust the colour.
There are 10, 20, 30 or 40 Ports on the label.The age indicated is an average.If the average is less than what is stated on the label, the blend can contain 2 or 75 year old Port.The date will be stamped on the label.You should drink the wine closer to the bottle date because Tawny Port doesn't benefit from bottle aging.The Port has different flavours of caramel, nuts, espresso, chocolate and dried fruit.It's best served chilled.
A port from a vintage.These ports are not categorized as a Vintage Port.Colheita has been barrel-aged for many years.