What do you recommend when a Port novice asks ...

[Roy Hersh]

... for a specific Port to try that will win them over to enjoyment of Port?

[Glenn E.]

A 20 Year Old Tawny. I try not to spoil them with the best brands to start out, but I've found that introducing people to Port via 20-yr olds is the best way to get them hooked.

I think this is because Vintage Port is too close in style to red wine, yet is dramatically sweeter. Some people are put off by that. Tawnies have enough of a different style that they're not automatically compared to red wine and so they have a chance to shine on their own merits.

[Paul Fountain]

I regard myself as a novice so any advice I dished out would have a caveat attached.
Having said that, I'd have to say that it depends on who is asking, and what point they are starting from.
There are probably 3 separate cases amongst my friends a) friends that like red wine b) friends that have had exposure to the Australian fortifieds and c)those that just have a sweet tooth.
For those that have an aptitude for drinking big reds, I'd probably start them off on an LBV with a bit of tannin like the 03 Noval. For those that have had exposure to the Australian vintage fortifieds, they are probably ready to move into the the main game so I'd be recommending something that isn't super expensive but will show well. i'd probably push them towards a 1/2 bottle of VP with a decent amount of bottle age so they can get an idea of what aged VP is like. For the sweet tooth, I'd probably start them off with a ruby.

[Eric Ifune]

Noval Black. People just seem to lap it up.

[dom carter]

quinta do Noval 2003 LBV

[Moses Botbol]

Kirkland/Costco 10 Year Tawny

[Andy Velebil]

I try to taylor it to the person I am helping. The one thing I almost always try to aviod is pointing them toward expensive bottles. IMO, you can generally get more people hooked on Port or wine by pointing them toward good tasting bottles that are affordable and easy to get. These last two are the most important thing IMO. If it's something they can get locally they are more likely to buy it again and again. Then once they are "hooked" I'll point them to other more expensive bottles or things a little harder to find. It's all about baby steps

[Eric Menchen]

If they've had some Port and know what it is, I usually recommend an LBV. I agree with Andy on the price issue, and an LBV usually fits the bill.

[Moses Botbol]

I agree with Andy on the price issue, and an LBV usually fits the bill.

What? You're not pointing them to '31 Noval or '48 Taylor? What kind of crowd are you haning with?

[Andy Velebil]

I agree with Andy on the price issue, and an LBV usually fits the bill.

What? You're not pointing them to '31 Noval or '48 Taylor? What kind of crowd are you haning with?

The wrong crowd, but what else is new

[Derek T.]

I got hooked on port by starting to drink what we now call Reserve Ruby and then being introduced to the delights of drinking filtered LBV and then Single Quinta Vintage Port. I distinctly recall being blown away by the step-up in quality but enjoyed the wines at each stage of my evolution into the world of port. I had been drinking Port for 16 years before I tasted my first "real" Vintage Port.

Anyone who asks me what they should drink to get them into Port gets the same answer: buy a range of ports of different styles that you can afford and taste your way up. There is absolutely no substitute for experience. I have had the privilege of drinking more than my fair share of fabulous ports over the past few years but I can still open a bottle of Reserve or LBV and be impressed and enjoy the experience. If I had all the money in the world I could retire with a cellar full of Croft 1945 and never have a bad experience of drinking port again. But if I had done that 2 years ago I would never have discovered the delights of Croft LBV 2004 at £3.99 per half bottle

In short: if you see it and can afford it, buy it and taste it.

[Daniel R.]

A 10 year or 20 year tawny that is easy to find.

I find that people not used to drinking Port are typically captivated by a good tawny. I agree with Glenn on the sweetness factor.

Another "problem" (perhaps only in Portugal) is the wide availability of rather nasty ruby port bought for cooking and that many people assume is what Port is all about...

[Eric Menchen]

What? You're not pointing them to '31 Noval or '48 Taylor? What kind of crowd are you han[g]ing with?

First you have to hook them, then you reel them in.

[Ronald Wortel]

I try to taylor it to the person I am helping.

Nicely put.

[Andy Velebil]

I try to taylor it to the person I am helping.

Nicely put.

I'm glad someone caught that

[Roy Hersh]

What? You're not pointing them to '31 Noval or '48 Taylor? What kind of crowd are you haning with?

This gave me shivers as I thought for a moment that Symon was back.

[Marc J.]

I also try to introduce a newbies to a 10 or 20 year old tawny as the first step down the Port slippery slope. Generally speaking, I've found that for a novice the 10 & 20's are easily sourced, don't require decanting and don't cost an arm & a leg.

[Russ K]

the best way to do it is a "vertical" in quality...

Most people have tried Port, and they have tried wretched stuff.
We won a few beginners over at a friends house by having a cheap Aussie stickie, then a basic ruby, then a 20 year Dow, then a VP.
The first two most had tried some thing similar before and that put them in a "see I don't like it" mood.
Then the 20 year Dow came it was like a slap upside the head how much better it was, then the well aged VP put it over the top!

[Andy Velebil]

Most people have tried Port, and they have tried wretched stuff.

Amen, Can't tell you how many people have told me they don't like Port then I give them a glass of a good Port and they love it.

[Peter W. Meek]

I got hooked on a 1966 Grahams and spent years trying to find that experience again. I discovered that what I like about the Grahams was that, with age, it had almost turned into a tawny port.

Once I figured that out, it was just a matter of trying different tawnys until I found the ones I liked. (Much cheaper than buying old bottles of VP hunting for ones that had changed just enough.)

Point being: don't start people out with impossibly expensive ports. If that's what they require, they should work their way UP to it, not down from it.