Aren't There Different Types of Port Wines?

Why yes.... there certainly are...

Here is a brief description of the basic types of Port Wines you will hear about...

Vintage Ports - These tend to be very "grapey"... which I personally love. These wines are bottled after spending 2 years in barrel. Vintage Ports are aged for a very long time! Ten years is a good start but 20 years and more are needed to reach their optimum maturity. I don't know if I can wait that long!!

Ruby Ports - These are young wines that are on average about 2 years old. They tend to have a ruby red color as their name would suggest and tend to have a "fresh" taste. Tawny Ports - These are aged a long time in wooden barrels... maybe 3 or 4 years... Because they are have lost their red coloring and are now more of an amber they are called "tawny". These wines have a "nutty" taste. Wood Ports - These are considered the "finest of Ports". They have been exclusively aged in a barrel and not in a bottle like Vintage Ports.

White Ports - There are several different types of White Ports which are associated with the different degrees of sweetness and the manner by which they are made. Some of these have a minimum alcohol content of 16.5% for those of you who would like to try a Port but don't want the higher alcohol content.

Well...Those are the basic types of port wines... I have never tried one that has been aged for 20+ years... they tend to be a bit pricey the older they are... but maybe someday...