Don't get me wrong - Port (which is only made in Portugal) is wonderful. It's actually a fortified wine, i.e., has the addition of a neutral spirit added to it which amps the alcohol and adds to the longevity. The creation was made to better preserve the wine on ship voyages. I am a huge lover of port and partial to tawny - which, like its name implies is a rich amber color. There are also wonderful ruby ports available. At the recent Wines of Portugal tasting in New York, I had the good fortune to try a number of 10 and 20 year old Tawny ports.
The best-kept secret at the tasting was a special vintage Port from Kopke, the oldest Port wine house established in 1638 -- their Coheita port from 1978.
But Portugal has so much more to offer. From the far north, white wines of sizzling acidity: Vinho Verde. From the Douro Valley, fantastic dry red wines made from mixes of indigenous grapes including the distinctly aromatic Touriga Nacional.
As one looks further south, big red wines of bold character are found in regions such as Alentejo - where Esporao is one of my favorite producers. But this hot climate also makes fine white wines. Their reserve-level white is a wine of great richness and length at an outstanding price point.
Look for wines of Portugal for reds and whites that will wow your palate at a very agreeable price.
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