For The Love Of Port

When you describe how opaque a port is in a TN how do you determine this? Is it through the glass? While you pour it? Or what? Thanks.

Typically when I try to get a feel for the color, given that the ambient lighting in the room is sufficient, I tend to turn the glass onto its side (while still holding it of course) making sure not to spill the Port, while looking at it with a white napkin or piece of paper as the backround which helps determine the core and color of the meniscus (or outer edge).

Thanks Roy,I have never seen opaqueness described with other wines except port. Is the percentage an approximation or any other techniques people use to arrive at this?

Mike L. wrote:Thanks Roy,I have never seen opaqueness described with other wines except port. Is the percentage an approximation or any other techniques people use to arrive at this?

A very precise methodology for rating opacity has been developed by a group of Port enthusiasts in the UK. It goes something like this...

1. Pour three glasses of Port.

2. Taster 1: "I think that is about 40% opaque."

3. Taster 2: "I would say it's more like 50%"

4. Taster 3: "I don't care it tastes fabulous!"

5. Taster 1: "Shall we agree on 45%?"

6. Taster 2: "OK, 45% it is."

Thats what I was wondering. It looks like it is a very subjective thing, as are many things with wine.

Mike L. wrote:Thats what I was wondering. It looks like it is a very subjective thing, as are many things with wine.

Derek fails to mention that taster 3 simply wrote
"Dark"

If you can find a copy of Micheal Broadbent's "The Great Vintage Wine Book" the first edition, there is a series of color plates in the beginning showing a variety of wines tilted just as Roy describes. You can get a good idea of the opacity of young wines and the changes that occur with age.

I shall start posting color of wine in my TNs using the SRM, and no one will know what I am talking about.

Eric Menchen wrote:I shall start posting color of wine in my TNs using the SRM, and no one will know what I am talking about.

I think I'll go have a drink now

When I see the % of opacity mentioned in a Port TN, the first thing I think to myself ... 'next time someone calls you a "wine geek" explain the % of opacity to them.'

Roy Hersh wrote:When I see the % of opacity mentioned in a Port TN, the first thing I think to myself ... 'next time someone calls you a "wine geek" explain the % of opacity to them.'

I tend to lose non-wine drinkers when I get to the part about there being more than one grape varietal in Port

Andy Velebil wrote:

Roy Hersh wrote:When I see the % of opacity mentioned in a Port TN, the first thing I think to myself ... 'next time someone calls you a "wine geek" explain the % of opacity to them.'

I tend to lose non-wine drinkers when I get to the part about there being more than one grape varietal in Port

I once ran a port tasting for a group of 8 that included 3 non-drinkers. For them, we concentrated on the differences in colour and smell. The feedback that I had from them was that they hadn't expected to enjoy a wine tasting when they didn't drink - but that they had found the discussion of the way colour and small changes with age and style to be really interesting.

Al B. wrote:I once ran a port tasting for a group of 8 that included 3 non-drinkers.

Now there is a challenge. But thinking about a really old VP and a lot of tawny, I get a lot of enjoyment, easily 50% in some cases, from the aromas.