November 13, 2025

Port

How I Came to Know Port

Port is a fortified wine, usually sweet and served after dinner. To be perfectly honest, Port was an acquired taste for me. I don’t like sweet beverages, and it always seemed a bit frumpy to me. The fact that it is considered a dessert wine did not intrigue me, it put me off. Dessert, with the exception of ice cream, is one course I don’t mind skipping.

Two things happened to change my mind. First was when I was in a Gaeltacht pub in County Galway, I found myself too full of food and Guinness, and rather uncomfortable. One of the barkeeps suggested I drink a snifter of brandy to calm my tummy. At first I said no, I couldn’t manage it, and I really did not like sweet drinks. But he cheerfully insisted. I’m so glad he did. The brandy was delightful. I almost immediately felt better and was able to continue with the craic. It got me over the idea that I can’t stomach sweet booze, and in fact, it totally has its place.

Eglantine: They used to call Port medicinal, you know. Good for the digestion, good for the spirits. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it cures all ills, but it certainly improves most of them!

The second thing that changed my mind was becoming the British Cheese buyer at Formaggio Kitchen, and really wanted to delve deeper into the cheese I was responsible for, including Stilton. I’ve always enjoyed Stilton and I knew Port and Stilton were such a classic pairing. I had to try it. And I love it together!

(Secret third thing- The cute tiny Port glasses)

What Is Port?

The name is protected, so true Port can only come from Portugal’s Douro Valley. The Douro was demarcated in 1756, so it’s the third oldest protected wine region. Port begins as wine from a blend of Portuguese grapes. There are 40 grapes that are allowed to be used, but the most common are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, and Tinta Amarela.

“Fortified” means that distilled spirit is added to the wine. The added alcohol kills the yeast and stops fermentation, leaving some natural sugar. That is why wine isn’t above 15% ABV, the yeast just can’t keep going. That is also why Port is both strong booze-wise and sweet. It’s served in small glasses because of its higher alcohol content, and it is much too sweet to gulp.

Aritz: Mostly correct. The yeast is not killed by the alcohol so much as stunned. Functionally the same. Etsui!

Port History

During the War of the Spanish Succession, England could not import French wine and turned to Portugal instead. The story goes that two British brothers and wine importers added grape spirit (aguardente) before fermentation finished, creating a sweet, stable wine that could survive the sea voyage home.

Many Port houses today, such as Graham’s and Taylor’s, still have British ownership or management. Though Port comes from the Douro in Portugal, it has long been bound up with the British dining table. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Britain was Port’s main export market. It became part of club culture and country-house dinners. Even now, close to one fifth of all premium Port is sold in the UK.

Port Rituals

In Britain, Port belongs to the cheese course, which comes after dessert. On the Continent, cheese is served before dessert, more a part of dinner. The British cheese course was meant to be slow and social, eaten while playing cards or talking after dinner.

The Port decanter is passed to the left, and you’re not supposed to let it stop. If it does, someone may ask, “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?” The story goes that Henry Bathurst, Bishop of Norwich from 1805 to 1837, often fell asleep at dinner and forgot to pass the Port.

Port was also thought of as medicinal and was a favorite drink of older, respectable ladies. It does seem like something older folk would drink. I always picture Colonel Pickering and Henry Higgins having a glass to calm their nerves before taking Eliza Doolittle to the ball.

Aritz: Heh, I enjoy a glass of Port whilst pondering the dark shadow of the British Empire! Tchin Tchin!

Types of Port

Ruby Port is aged only a short time in large tanks deprived of oxygen, which keeps its color deep red and its flavor bright. It’s fresh, red-fruited, and youthful, with notes of cherry or plum. The Ruby family includes Ruby and Late Bottled Vintage (LBV). They need to be drunk within a couple months after opening. It’s the most fruit-forward style and pairs well with blue cheese, chocolate, or simply on its own after dinner.

Tawny Port spends years in small oak barrels, where slow exposure to oxygen changes its color to amber-brown and gives it a mellow, nutty character. You could almost call it rusty Port! It tastes of caramel, dried fruit, toffee, and warm spice. I think it tastes like raisins, which is not very creative of me. Tawny Ports labeled by average age of the blend, (10, 20, 30, or even 40 years!) and show more depth as they get older. These are the bottles you can keep around forever. Serve Tawny slightly cool, with nuts, caramel desserts, or a creamy wedge of Stilton.

The Port and Stilton Custom

Stilton and Port separately became fashionable during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries in Britain, but they’ve stayed linked ever since. A lot of our Christmas imagery comes from that time, Georgian and Victorian England: Charles Dickens, Victorian cards, country squires in smoky drawing rooms, ladies playing whist with a Christmas tree in the background, drinking Port and eating Stilton. So I encourage you to do the same! If you read my previous post about Stilton, you know Stilton sales in Britain have plummeted, possibly because people aren’t holding on to the Christmas traditions.

You can find videos online of cheesemongers poking holes into a wheel of Stilton and placing an upended bottle of Port in the center. References to Port-soaked Stilton appear in Georgian and Victorian accounts, but it was likely prepared ahead of time, not done at the table. After watching Christmas cakes soaking in whiskey at Ballymaloe, I suspect households did the same with Stilton, adding the Port days before serving.

Why not give it a try this year? Or if it’s something your family used to eat, why not bring it back?

Why the Pairing Works

Stilton and Port work together because each balances what the other has in abundance. The salt in Stilton sharpens Port’s fruit, while Port’s sweetness softens the cheese’s bite. Stilton’s richness coats your tongue, and the alcohol in Port cuts cleanly through it, keeping each bite and sip lively. The blue mold gives Stilton deep umami flavors, which meet the gentle acidity in Port and keep the pairing from feeling heavy.

They also share a similar feel and season. Stilton’s texture is dense and creamy, and Port’s is silky and viscous, so they meet in the middle. Both are rich, slow foods that feel right in cold weather, made for the same candlelit, fire-warmed winter evenings.

The combination is so good it hardly needs anything else. Maybe a few walnuts for texture, but otherwise just cheese and wine.

Now Go Try Some Port!

That’s plenty of talk about Port. Now I hope you’ll try it with some Stilton and judge for yourself. Eglantine says it will improve your spirits, and Aritz says it might even improve your soul. I’ll settle for it making a cold night feel a bit warmer.