What Wines for Thanksgiving Dessert? Sweet Selections
You’ve already paired your traditional Thanksgiving dinner wines, and now it’s time for the dessert wines. Sweet wines aren’t as popular today as they were in previous centuries so we tend to know less about them, but don’t let that intimidate you. Thanksgiving dessert is the perfect opportunity to find those luscious bottles and let […]
Tawny Port vs Port: What’s the Difference?
In the world of wine, you’ve come across the terms “Port” and “Tawny Port” a few times, but how are they different? Port is a broad category of Portuguese fortified wines. Tawny Port is a subcategory – or style – of Port. Named for its reddish-brown color, Tawnies are sweet, high alcohol wines with nuts, […]
Tawny Port Wine: A Timeless Classic
The world of Port wines is awash with different styles worth exploring, including Tawny Port. Tawny Port is a sweet fortified wine from northern Portugal. It’s lighter in color than Ruby and Vintage Ports, and has a tawny, or brick-brown color and nutty carmel flavor. Tawny Ports come in inexpensive and premium styles. Pair Tawny […]
Ruby Port vs Tawny
Port is one of those wines that sneaks up on you and leaves you asking: Where have you been all my life? You’ll two styles in particular, Ruby and Tawny, widely available, but what’s the difference? Ruby Port and basic Tawny Port are both entry-level, sweet fortified wines. Ruby Port is fruit-forward with a deep […]
Port vs Sherry: Which Will You Pick?
If you’re wondering about the differences between Sherry and Port, then you’re in the right place! Port and Sherry are fortified wines but use different grapes and winemaking methods. Port is sweet, full-bodied, with dark fruit, licorice, and leather. Sherry is dry or sweet, low acid, with citrus and nuts. Port is higher in alcohol […]
Port vs Madeira: What’s the Difference?
Fortified wines aren’t well understood, but two classics, Port vs Madeira, are worth your time. Madeira and Port share several similarities. They are both sweet, fortified Portuguese wines. Madeira has high acid, with stewed fruits, nuts, burnt sugar, citrus peel, and varnish. Port has tannin, with red and black fruit, licorice, and leather. Both wines […]
How Is Port Made?
Port wines have a prestigious heritage in the world of fortified wines and should definitely be in your wine-drinking repertoire. Port is made by adding distilled grape spirit called aguardente during the fermentation process. This results in a sweet fortified wine. Only wines made in Portugal’s Douro Valley can be called Port. There are many […]
What Is a Good Sweet Wine for Beginners?
New wine drinkers figure out pretty quickly that the liquid in their wine glass doesn’t taste anything like grape juice. Good sweet wines for beginners include: Moscato d’Asti, White Zinfandel, Cabernet d’Anjou, off-dry Riesling, Vin Doux Naturel, Demi-Sec and Doux Champagne, Port, and Sauternes. Wines come in a range of sweetness levels, so you have […]