Porto Tonico or Port and tonic is a delicious and refreshing drink.
It is a popular summer drink in Porto, Portugal.
Contents
What is White Port?
Port wine is a fortified wine, which means that additional alcohol (grape spirit) is added to fermented grape juice to produce an alcoholic and usually sweet wine.
It is made in the Duoro in Portugal from white grapes.
White Port is much less common than red Port.
White Port flavors
White Ports range from straw to gold in color, depending on how long they are aged.
They are full-bodied aromatic wines, with citrus, floral and fruity notes.
It comes in a variety of styles from dry to sweet. That said, dry white Port usually has a touch of sweetness.
Regular White Ports are usually aged for 2-3 years in vats.
Dry White Port is typically aged for 2-5 years in vats.
Some White Ports are aged for even longer. Calém, for example, produces a 10-year-aged White Port.
When aged for long periods, the color of white Port can darken significantly in color.
Taylor Fladgate Chip Dry is one of the best know white Ports and was the first dry white Port launched in 1934.
When to drink White Port
White Port is generally considered a pre-dinner drink or aperitif.
It can also be paired with salads and fish.
It is also perfect for mixed drinks and cocktails.
How to serve White Port
White Port should be served chilled between 6ºC (43ºF) to 10ºC (50ºF).
How long White Port lasts after opening
White Port will last for up to 2 months after opening if kept in the fridge.
Ensure to replace the cork properly and return to the fridge immediately after use.
White Port and tonic / Porto Tonico
Ingredients
- 3 oz White Port 85 ml
- 9 oz Tonic water 250 ml
- Ice cubes
- Slice of lemon
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice cubes.
- Add the Port and tonic water.
- Garnish with lemon or lime.
Other styles of Port wine
Types of Port
There are different styles of Port with different names, which can be confusing. The majority of Port wine is red and made from black grapes. Without going into too much detail, let’s discuss briefly what they are, what they taste like and how they differ from one another.
Ruby Port
Ruby Ports are bottled ready to drink. They are deeply colored and taste fruity. There are three types of Ruby Port.
Inexpensive Ruby Port is fruity, sweet and simple wine, usually aged for less than three years.
Reserve Ruby Port use better quality wine, have complex flavors and intensity. They are aged for up to five years.
LBV Port is similar to Reserve Ruby Port but the wine is made from a single year’s harvest.
Tawny Port
Tawny Ports are a paler-colored Ruby Port (some have White Port added to adjust the color) with caramel and toffee flavors.
Reserve Tawny Ports are aged for a minimum of six years in small oak vessels. They develop kernel and oxidative flavors (walnut, coffee, caramel). They have a tawny or even brown appearance rather than the ruby or purple colors of Vintage Ports.
Tawny Ports with indication of age can be labelled 10, 20, 30 or 40 (indicates the average, rather than a minimum age). They do not need to be decanted and should be drank as close to the bottling date as possible. This date is usually written on the label. They are best served slightly chilled.
Vintage Port
Vintage Port is only made in good years. They are made from grapes from the best vineyards. After a short period of ageing in oak, Vintage Port is bottled unfiltered. They are long-live wines that age well.
Generally speaking, a Vintage Port is a special occasion drink to savor, rather than use as a cocktail ingredient.
White Port
White port is made from white grapes and can be made in a wide variety of styles (see above).
Rosé Port
Rosé Port is a recent variation that was first released in 2008. It is created in a similar way to rosé wine. There is a shorter period of contact with the grape skins, ensuring less color is extracted (creating the rose color rather than the typical deep ruby color created with longer contact with the grape skins).
