A new port of call

(From left) Quinta de la Rosa Ruby, Taylor's 10-Year-Old Old Tawny Port and Dow's Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port 1996. Photo / NZ Herald

I was armed only with the historic map made by wine-loving cartographer Joseph James Forrester in the 1800s when I made my first journey into Portugal's dramatic Douro Valley. Years before I'd become a hardened wine traveller, I was put on a train alone from the bustling town of Oporto bound for the outer reaches of port country. As dusk fell on the dynamited vineyard terraces of the region, I passed through increasingly dark and deserted stations and began to lose my bearings.

Luckily in the moonlight I managed to spot my stop and on disembarking I was relieved to find a welcoming party to meet me from the quinta (winery) that was to be my base for the coming weeks. By the end of the trip I was feeling far more confident in navigating my way through the region and its wines, the sublime character of both left me totally in awe.

Port can be a little overwhelming, given its spread of styles, but is well worth venturing into. These sweet wines, made from fortifying partially fermented grape must with brandy, range from the rare - and quite frankly, seldom exciting - white port that's taken as an aperitif, to the often amazing powerful red vintage examples.

For many, ruby is the first style encountered. These tend to be relatively simple fruity ports bottled young for immediate enjoyment, although reserve rubies, such as the excellent Graham's "Six Grapes" ($57) can be more complex and weighty.

Tawny is one of my favourite styles, as it can be both deliciously mellow and incredibly versatile. High quality examples will have spent a considerable time maturing in oak casks, which gives them their orangey-brown colour. Soft, nutty and spicy, they can be also be chilled, making them a great drink through the summer months.

But beware, not all tawnies are to die for with cheaper versions sometimes made from lighter coloured wines or by blending basic ruby with white port. To be assured that you've got the good stuff, go for one with an age statement, such as 10-year-old, on the label.

Vintage port is at the top of the quality pyramid. Made from the best grapes only in the best years, which are "declared" by the port houses, these are intense ripe tannic wines in their youth often requiring more than twenty years in the bottle to soften. Over the years these throw heavy sediment and consequently require decanting.

Vintage port can be pricey, but those looking for more affordable vintage styles can opt for Late Bottled Vintage (LBV). Bottled after more time in cask, which softens them up, these are ready for drinking on release.

Some of the best value ports are single quinta wines. Unlike vintage ports, which are made from a blend of the best vineyards, these are the product of one site, which often makes up a major component of a house's main port in declared years. They're made in the same way as vintage port and need time to mature.

Sadly, port sales in this country were affected by the huge tax hike on fortifieds in 2003. However, its sales seem to have experienced a small resurgence over the last year as new wave of younger drinkers become partial to port. Some houses have been actively working to attract new drinkers to their wines. In the case of Warre's stylish and scrumptious Otima Tawny ($69, Accent on Wine), this has been through more modern packaging, while Croft has cashed in on the international rose boom and made the first ever pink port (not currently available in NZ).

While pink port may shock traditionalists, it's no bad thing if such innovations encourage people to find their way to the wider delights of the Douro.

ROCKIN' RUBY

Quinta de la Rosa Ruby $46

There's lots of lovely ripe berry fruit and a smoothness that sometimes fiery rubies can lack. This is a great value introduction into the pleasures of port from this small, quality-focused producer. (From Glengarry.)

TERRIFIC TAWNY

Taylor's 10-Year-Old Old Tawny Port $79.99

This classic tawny exhibits the style's characteristic notes of raisin, fig, nut and spice, plus hints of coffee. A fuller-bodied example with a lingering nutty finish. (From good liquor retailers.)

VINTAGE VALUES

Dow's Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port 1996 $69.99

A sensuous Single Quinta Port whose palate of brooding blackberry, damson and prune fruit laced with notes of spice, chocolate and tobacco is starting to soften into silky drinkability. Great value. (From A2Z liquor, Wine & More, Wine Vault, Wine Circle.)