Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Eating your wine -- vintage port


2000 Sandeman's Vau vintage porto, bottled in 2002; Sandeman & Ca. Sa. Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

Every possible good thing you can eat is in this wine. Dates. Cakes soaked with liqueurs or brandies. Plums, prunes, raisins. Baked cherries and compotes, all manner of pies, gently spiced pastries, jams and stewed fruits and syrups. And you eat the wine. It's so thick and chewy and has such a nice little piquant acid kick at the end, that you can't possibly think of merely drinking it. Strong stuff, too. Before you toddle over for another bite, remember that it does weigh in at 20% alcohol. How do you say "wow" and "I think I'm done" in Portuguese?

And as for the modern vogue for pairing port with fine chocolate, all I can say is, please no. Don't force two beautiful things to compete with one another. Prima donnas exist for a reason.

Retail, about $45.

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