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ImPORTant Delivery

Wednesday, 21 December 2005

Pot Belly Port has been a popular request around A Taste of Monterey since its disappearance from the shelves four years ago. Pot Belly Port has been a popular request around A Taste of Monterey since its disappearance from the shelves four years ago.  Many members and visitors alike have come to the bar requesting a Port that they experienced several years ago and have never forgotten.  The bar staff would quickly refresh their memory with the catchy name “Pot Belly”, and their eyes would light up in the hope and expectation that they had finally found the Port for which they had been searching all these years.  To the sorrow of the wine server, the Port enthusiast was told that it was no longer available.   Pot Belly is BACK!  And the excitement and interest in Port has never been greater.  Monterey is going port crazy!  Faun Port sells quicker than the winemaker can get his shoes back on after the crush!  Steve Pessagno is making Port that can only be found at some of the finest restaurants in Monterey.  Paraiso makes a Souzao Port that compliments the most elegant of meals.  So grab a glass, light the fire, and let’s revisit the days when the Port tradition began. The English and the French were in a bit of a cat-fight back in the 1700’s.  The English blockaded French shipping ports, which caused a shortage of wine.  The English then turned to their longtime buddies, Portugal, for wine.  Portugal could not satisfy the quality to which the English were accustomed, so the English decided they must take over the process themselves.  Brandy was added to the wine for stabilization during transport, but this is not the beginning of Port as we know it.  In fact, how exactly it originated is not certain.  There is a story of an abbot in Portugal, who in the 1600’s, added brandy to wine before fermentation (rather than after) leading to the idea of stopping the fermentation with Brandy while the wine was still sweet and strong.  Today, when about half the grape’s sugar has turned to alcohol, the juice is then combined with a vat of Brandy (traditionally 1 part Brandy to 4 parts wine).          There are two broad categories which define Port; bottle aged and cask aged.  Bottle aged Ports allow the wine to retain its rich ruby color and big fruit.  Cask aged Ports take on a nuttier flavor and become tawny in color due to the long time spent in wood.  Tawny Ports are aged longer that Ruby ports and are generally more expensive.  Most of the Ports you find at A Taste of Monterey are bottle-aged Rubies.   Enough history and technicality… Do you need a refill yet?  Before you grab the bottle, here is some Port etiquette.  Traditionally, the decanter is placed in front of the host.  The host pours for the guest on his right and then passes to his left.  Beware- if the Port stays in front of one person too long, he may be accused of being “the Bishop of Norwich” (a cleric who was notorious for being stingy with his Port).   One might also say “your passport is ended”.  My favorite tradition- A true connoisseur never recorks his bottle.  One would say “no heel-taps” to encourage another to finish the bottle so that another bottle could be opened.   Lastly, to enjoy your Port at it’s fullest potential, serve it between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  Port is not just for dessert.  It may be consumed before or after meals, alone or with cheese or dessert.  A popular pairing is chocolate or a rich blue cheese.

Last Updated ( Monday, 28 August 2006 )

 

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