The Pride of Portugal

Ask a geography buff what he thinks of when you mention Portugal, and he'll probably tell you that it shares the Iberian peninsula with Spain. Ask a cigar enthusiast the same question, and he'll tell you it's the country that produces port, the most classic of cigar-accompanying spirits, the one that conjures up images of well-attired gentlemen congregating after dinner in the smoke-filled drawing room of some hoary English estate.

Despite my fairly long track record of indulging in the pleasure of an after-dinner cigar and snifter of port, I had yet to educate myself on the various nuances of this unique spirit. Aside from a few familiar and reliably fine labels - Fonseca, Sandeman, Taylor-Fladgate - even the most well-stocked bars here in the States seem to be sparse on ports, compared to say, single-malt Scotches or even small-batch bourbons. But now, thanks to Tarcisio Costa, and the staff of New York's Alfama restaurant, a cozy haven of Portuguese cuisine and culture, and their decidedly delicious crash course, I am now more comfortable than ever with this traditional drink.

Costa wears his Portuguese pride on his sleeve, and is justly proud of the posh Manhattan eatery where he plies his trade as sommelier, with its authentic art and furnishings, unique menu, and a wine list boasting no less than 46 varieties of port. We chatted about Portugal's native spirit, and I found, as in many great drink origin stories, that its creation was something of a happy accident. English merchants who'd settled in the Portuguese city of Oporto, known for exporting wine from the neighboring Douro region, came upon an idea to preserve the wine for the long sea journeys by adding grape spirit, or brandy. The result of the mixture was an unexpectedly smooth and enhanced flavor to what had been until then a fairly common and astringent wine. The newly-fortified version became popular with British wine drinkers, who were shut off from French product as a result of that country's embargo, and the beverage's reputation as a drink of luxury spread. Soon the port region of the Douro became the world's first demarcated wine region. In 1756, the Real Companhia Velha (Royal Oporto Wine Company) was formed by decree of the King D. Jose I of Portugal, and this original port producer continues making the "wine of kings" today... including the Extra Dry White that was to be my first sample of the evening.

I admit to some skepticism - the few white ports I'd previously tried never did much for me, as I found them fairly chalky - but the Royal Oporto changed my mind. Its nose was floral and inviting, and the taste was zesty and pleasant, with a short finish. I needed no convincing to try the Offley, a sweeter white, made from the malvasia grape, which lingered nicely on the palate. (I still wouldn't have a white port with a cigar, however - an assessment my host agreed with - but as an aperitif it would do nicely.)

The darker ports that most of us cigar guys are familiar with have distinct differences as well, and are divided into two basic types: tawny (brownish amber in color, aged in oak for about five years) and ruby (bright red, aged about three). Within the tawny category, there are Colheitas, drawn from a single harvest, aged at least seven years before bottling. To demonstrate the flavor nuances imparted by aging, Costa poured me a Royal Oporto Colheita from 1976. It was exquisitely smooth, with hints of oak, caramel, and even some apple.

The top-shelf bottlings are vintage ports. These wines are taken from an exceptional harvest year - usually only a few every decade qualify for the distinction; 1994 was the most recent - and bottled after two years. After bottling, they're meant to mature for not less than ten years before being drunk, and can be priced in the hundreds of dollars. All well and good, but for those who are more impatient (and not wealthy), there are LBVs (Late Bottled Vintages). As the name implies, the grapes are taken from the rare vintage years, but the wine spends two additional years in the barrels before bottling. I've tried several LBVs, and many are exceptional bargains. At Alfama, I sampled a 1994 Calem LBV, a ruby port that offered strong, full-bodied fruit flavors, with spice and plummy characteristics. We followed up with a 1977 vintage Royal Oporto, with a distinguished caramel color, a honeyed aroma, and a deliciously rich, walnut-and-licorice flavor.

Most ports are blended from the grapes of several quintas, or estates. But some producers, like Royal Oporto, produce Single Quinta ports, using grapes from only one vineyard. Costa and I sampled a Royal Oporto Quinta de Carvalhas, a 6-year aged tawny that offered hints of black cherry and strong spices. It was the perfect entry to the dessert portion of the tasting. (I should mention that I was also receiving an education on Portuguese cuisine, and gaining an appreciation for port's suitability to it; shrimp turnovers and clams stuffed with herbs and chourico cheese partnered up well with the whites; and toasted bread with serra de estrela goat cheese and marmalade went well with the tawnys.) Dessert was a chocolate mousse with whipped cream, raspberries, and a roasted almond/walnut mixture, topped off by a ruby LBV with a pleasing magenta color and rich, fruity taste. The matchups were so perfect that I almost didn't miss my usual port companion - a corona gorda from Honduras or the Dominican Republic.

With dessert finished, I decided to go for broke. "Let me try the oldest one in the house," I lobbied Costa. And with a smile, he obliged, trotting out an appealingly dusty bottle of 1944 Colheita. As the amber-caramel liquid poured into the glass, I was taken aback. 1944? This stuff was being bottled before Nazi Germany surrendered! But like Sean Connery and Raquel Welch, the port wears its age well: it was indescribably smooth and mellow, with a spicy mouthfeel reminiscent of sherry, and a long, rich finish.

According to Costa, the year 2000 is likely to be declared another vintage for port... meaning the best of the bottlings will be aged to ideal drinkability by about 2010. But the wide range of options offered by today's port houses should ensure a steady flow of great and affordable ports to sip while we're waiting... even if we have to search a bit to find them. "Americans are impatient consumers," Costa observed. "Especially after September 11, people are realizing that life is short. They don't want to have to wait for a celebration or special occasion to have a drink they enjoy." And for anyone out there who's sitting on a bottle from the vintage years 1977, 1984, 1987, or 1994, his advice is succinct and direct: "Drink it now!" After all, 2010 is a long time away, especially when there are so many great ports to sample.

Saude!