How to drink tawny port?

[Michael Hann]

How is tawny port best served? For example, a Taylor's 20 year old tawny port? Is it served cold, like at cold saturated refrigerator temperature -- say 40 degrees? Is such a 20 year old tawny served with food -- bread pudding, creme brulee -- or preferrably by itself? Sorry for such a rudimentary post, but I have never sampled a tawny port of any stripe (excepting one glass in a restaurant and I'm not counting that). I'm assuming such a 20 year old tawny port is NOT decanted, is that correct? (no sediment, presumably, but is the "airing" provided by decanting several hours desirable?) I have a Taylor's 20 year old tawny port that I expect to be sampling some time in January as my first tawny experience.

[Eric Menchen]

For the moment I'll just comment on the cold aspect. I know some people like it served cold, including some ers. However, I've had it served to me that way in a restaurant and I must say I don't prefer it. If served cold, I cup the glass in my hands to warm it up and release all those wonderful aromas.

[Glenn E.]

Personally, I prefer tawny Ports right at or just below room temperature. Roughly 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Chilled any further than that the nose starts to close up, and I like the way a good tawny smells.

A very old tawny might benefit from decanting because with enough time they can throw a tiny bit of very fine sediment. It's not strictly necessary, though, as this particular sediment is so fine that you could just swirl it around to get it back into suspension. I've never bothered to decant a tawny for sediment removal purposes, but if you want a perfectly clear glass of Port you might need to do it.

Generally speaking there's no need to decant tawnies for the purpose of giving them air, but also generally speaking it won't hurt them. Some tawnies do actually benefit from getting air time before you drink them - any tawnies that have been in bottle for more than 2-3 years can use the air time to blow off a little bit of bottle stink that can sometimes set in. Air time might also help blow off a strong alcohol presence on the nose if present. I generally just pop 'n' pour, but just as an extreme counterexample you'd probably want to decant an old Moreira Colheita. Those seem to take several days to really open up and hit their peak.

As for pairings... well I'm a bit off the commonly held wisdom on this subject. I don't actually think that Vintage Port pairs very well with chocolate or Stilton, for example. Tawnies, on the other hand, pair very well with chocolate to me as long as it's not too dark or too milky. I also like tawnies with rich, mild cheeses like Manchego and Gouda. Pecans is another favorite for me. Meats such as prosciutto and mild sausages work, but stay away from anything spicy because (at least to me) the spice kills the flavor of the tawny. Even something as minimally spicy as pepperoni can really throw things off. Salty meats are fine, but not if they're too salty.

Be careful with desserts - the Port needs to be sweeter than the dessert, and even with Creme Brulee that might be a problem. Otherwise that's a good pairing.

For your Taylor 20-year old, I'd go with a simple meat & cheese platter with crackers. Try the Port first and get used to it, then sample it with various cheeses. After the cheeses, try the meats. (I suggest that order because to me, at least, mild cheeses are less likely to mess things up.)

I hope you find something you like!

[Moses Botbol]

As long as it is cooler than room temperature I am fine. Low 60's F is good. Red dry wines I like cooler than port, but I thought different until I measured the temps.

[Luc Gauthier]

Room temp. does it for me .
A good 20 yr old is great on its own and I wouldn't pair it with food .
A 10 yr old , for me , is the exact opposite .

[Peter W. Meek]

Room temp to just below. I typically drink tawnys either from a previously opened bottle at room temp, or from a just-opened bottle at cellar temp (55F). (Sampled six different tawnys/colheitas after dinner tonight -- I'm flying.)

I most often drink my personal favorite tawny (Warre's Nimrod) with pistachios, but that's just because the group I usually drink with happens to like pistachios.

If I'm getting serious about pairings, I like Creme Brulee (a sweet, but not TOO sweet), or savories: Gorgonzola, Gorgonzola Dulce(soft), Stilton (all, the stronger the better); hard cheeses like Emmentaler or Romano; processed/preserved meats; nuts: walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts. (I haven't tried it with a REALLY dry ham, but reading this suggests it. Maybe one of the Italian cured hams. The question is how much salt can you stand with the port.)

Other sweets: Scottish shortbread (mostly flour and butter with very little sugar); Walker's is the best brand available in the US. (My Eva's is better by far.) Stollen: a German Christmas bread baked with much butter, and candied fruits. (You will notice a theme here: a lot of oils like butter, and possibly concentrated sweetness without general sweetness -- candied fruit in a floury base, rather than a sweet cookie or cake -- Creme Brulee: not too sweet custard with a caramelized sugar crust.) Maybe a really spicy gingersnap cookie. Spekulaten: another spicy, unsweet cookie (Windmill cookies are a sweetened American shadow of the real thing). I think the contrasts are what make the pairings. Remember, the Port is another sweetness that has to be balanced. I think the sweet pairings I like have parts that are less sweet and/or parts that are more sweet than the Port; no parts that are AS sweet.

[Michael Hann]

Thanks everyone for your replies. No deep chilling of the tawny but rather coolish room temperature is the concensus. I take note of the various suggested food pairings and will try to sample a variety of things.

One last question. How long can I keep an opened bottle of tawny port and HOW do I keep it? Do I refrigerate it to retain best condition? If I drink it over 4 days to 7 days can I get by without refrigerating it? I'm not expecting to keep any bottle of opened wine around for more than a week, as certainly I will consume it before then if it is not appallingly bad.

[Peter W. Meek]

I just keep opened bottles of tawny in the cupboard. I suppose you might get some extension by chilling or gassing, but the time frame you mention shouldn't require heroic measures. Besides, if you refrigerate, then having a glass requires advance planning to bring it back to room temps.

[Glenn E.]

For me, tawnies have an interesting dynamic when stored on the kitchen counter. For the first three days everything is normal, but somewhere right around that 3-day range they start to get funky and go downhill a little bit. That lasts for about a week, after which they come back up to a different but equally lovely plateau. That 2nd plateau lasts for anywhere from 3 days to a week, and then they start a long decline.

So... 1-3 days, everything's great. 3-10 days, still good but slightly funky. 10-17 days, second plateau. 17+ days, steady decline.

If you store your bottle in the fridge it will last significantly longer - easily a month for most tawnies. But like Peter said, then you have to warm it up every time you want to drink a glass.

I can usually finish a bottle in 3-4 days if I want to, or sometimes I'll just have a couple of glasses during the first 3 days and then let it sit on the counter for a week to get to the second plateau and finish it then. While I'm waiting for the first bottle to reach the second plateau, I'll open a second bottle and then let them alternate.