Port Wine - Storing and Serving

Storing and Serving

Port, like other wine, should be stored in a cool but not cold, dark location (as light can damage the port), with a steady temperature (such as a cellar), laying the bottle on its side if the bottle has a cork, or standing up if stoppered. With the exception of white port, which can be served chilled, port should be served at between 15 to 20 degrees Celsius (59 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit). Tawny port may also be served slightly cooler.

Once opened, port generally lasts longer than unfortified wine but is still best if consumed within a short period of time. Those with stoppers can be kept for a couple of months in a dark place, but if it has a cork it must be consumed sooner. Typically, the older the vintage, the quicker it must be consumed.

Exposure to oxygen (or oxidation) causes wine to deteriorate after opening. Therefore the longer a port spent in barrels (where it is exposed to air), the longer it will last after opening. A tawny port has already incorporated oxidation into its flavor profile so it will last much longer than a vintage port. This suggests that tawny and ruby ports last the longest after opening, followed by LBVs, with vintage ports deteriorating the quickest.

Port wines that are unfiltered (such as vintage ports, crusted ports and some LBVs), form a sediment (or crust) in the bottle and require decanting. This process also allows the port to breathe; however, how long before serving is dependent on the age of the port (particularly in the case of vintage ports, which, once decanted, are recommended to be consumed within 3–4 days).

Tradition in the United Kingdom calls for port being served at a formal dinner to be passed to the left and for the bottle not to touch the table on its way around. Some people think that this is nonsense.