For The Love Of Port

hi sheila and me always decant by using double kitchen roll and a seive works wonderfully no cork no bits no sediment is this a ok ore frowned on ore does most do it ore have done it regards symonb

I assume by kitchen roll and sieve you are refering to muslin (or cheesecloth)?? I use unbleached cheesecloth to decant through and have had no ill effects. I also know of others who use unbleached coffee filters (I've also had Ports decanted through this) with no problems noted. IIRC, some members did a test by decanting a magnum through several different filtering mediums and there was no ill effects noted.

Tim Stanley-Clarke (a Symington "ambassador") sees no ill effect from using ladies' tights!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxjsvj47wqY

Note the reference at the end to use of the sediment in gravy or Bill Warre's suggestion to spread it on toast - anyone ever tried this?!

hi andy no we use 2 layers of paper kitchen roll in a seive and had good results symonb

Symon,

I would not use regular kitchen paper towels for decanting through, if that is what you are suggesting. Cheesecloth is easy to find and inexpensive, although I am only saying that about here where I live as it can be found in nearly every single supermarket that I've ever looked for it. Then again, other parts of the USA, this is not the case ... no less Ireland, which I've never visited. Is cheesecloth available there either in your grocery stores or in a cooks/chef's specialty store?

Also, if I may ask you a favor. Since you are posting in a public Forum, please don't address each post directly to me, as that implies you are not looking for others to respond. I know that you are, so if you don't mention my name, it may "permit" others to feel more comfortable to respond and provide you with opinions and sound advice. Thank you kindly.


Andy,

I did not know there was a bleached vs. unbleached thing with cheesecloth. I know of this with coffee filters but did not know this about cheesecloth. I have seen two kinds, one a soft a cushy very white cheesecloth and the other a light tawny color that was more fabric like than cotton feeling. Is this what you were alluding to and is one of these actually bleached?



Rob C.,

I have heard of using ladies stockings in a pinch for decanting ... preferrably new pair and not used. Also as to TSC's assertion that spreading the sediment from Port on toast being a good thing ...
I have heard this as far back as 20 years ago. I think it is just lore that is a British thing, meant tongue-in-cheek. Also, both Michael and Bartholomew Broadbent have been saying this at least as far back as the late 1990s and I have heard Jancis Robinson mention it too "live" ... again, I believe they're all making a funny. You can taste the sediment from Port ... what is caught in cheesecloth and it is not all that pleasant, although it isn't going to hurt you ... but I can't imagine anyone actually enjoying this spread on toast and certainly I'll stick to jam/compote/marmalade, thank you.

I've always seen cheesecloth listed as "unbleached" on the label so I always assumed there had to be a "bleached" version out there. Why else go through the trouble of printing it on the packaging. But I can't recall ever seeing an actual package listed as "bleached."

Curiosity got me and a google search shows there is both types and they explain the uses for both

BLEACHED:
used for dusting - military - bookbinding/tape/duct tape mfgs. Also used by furniture and lamp designers - for a decorative pattern. (they put a layer of a lighter coloring then they lay out the cheesecloth, then top coat over the cheesecloth - then they pull the cheesecloth off.)

UNBLEACHED:
the unbleached is preferred in dairy/cheese mfgs. In the grade #90 - filtering of air conditioning ducts. - paint mfgs. this unbleached construction is the grade by choice for faux finishers - adhesive - paint and ink mfgs. Also for staining - straining and filtering

Roy Hersh wrote:Also as to TSC's assertion that spreading the sediment from Port on toast being a good thing ...
I think it is just lore that is a British thing, meant tongue-in-cheek. Also, both Michael and Bartholomew Broadbent have been saying this at least as far back as the late 1990s and I have heard Jancis Robinson mention it too "live" ... again, I believe they're all making a funny. You can taste the sediment from Port ... what is caught in cheesecloth and it is not all that pleasant, although it isn't going to hurt you ... but I can't imagine anyone actually enjoying this spread on toast and certainly I'll stick to jam/compote/marmalade, thank you.

Well, I don't think vegemite is all that pleasant either, but that doesn't stop a lot of people from spreading it on their toast. I can't say I've ever had marmite, so perhaps I should give that a try.

hi yes we can get cheesecloth il use that nexed time symonb