My favorite wife recently returned from a business trip to Barcelona and brought me a nice bottle of white port. I knew of the existence of white port but had never sipped any, relying on the traditional ruby port at the appropriate time.
White port comes, unsurprisingly, unlike ruby port, from white grapes and is lighter in taste with a nice golden color. While ruby port has a strong taste in grapes, the white taste if more floral with hints of citrus. This makes white port more of a dessert wine or as a fortified aperitif and is excellent if served cold.
The bottle she brought was from the Ferreira concern which was founded in 1751. What made the gift even better was that it was under the Dona Antonia label and had been aged for ten years. Like red port, armagnac and calvados, a ten-year span helps to ensure that a product is going to provide a very enjoyable treat. I have tasted one- and three-year-old bottles of calvados, and it was a good lesson in tasting a cooking product from a product designed to please.
White port may be a bit more difficult to find, but it is worth the effort and I do not believe you will be disappointed. Enjoy!
