Recommendations on Port?

I've recently acquired a taste for port without acquiring an income for some of the vintage stuff.

Does anyone have recommendations for port in the $10 to $25 range?

I just tried Cockburn's Special Reserve which is $14 at Binny's which I liked. I was not too happy with a Warre Optima 10 year old Tawny at $21. Some students of mine gave me a bottle of Warre 20 year old Tawny (not the optima 20 year old) a couple years back when they graduated and that was quite nice. That was the port that got me started on this quest.

Any more recommendations on what to try?

Thanks in advance.

Do you prefer ruby or tawny?

I've really enjoyed Dow's 10-year at about $25 and Graham's Six Grapes for a ruby, maybe $20.

I suggest the Wine Discount Center on Elston...many selections and tell them what you like, they will suggest one for you.

Wine Discount Center
1826 N. Elston Ave., Chicago
Tel: (773) 489-3454

Hi,

I got into port by working at a restaurant that had some nice selections. Occasionally we would do tastings with the service staff to pair them with desserts on the menu. Ferreira's Dona Antonia Reserva was my favorite and remains so. It's got some plummy, black cherry characteristics but with a hint of cedar, if that makes sense. They used to carry it at the Binny's I go to in Skokie, but they stopped stocking it about a year or two ago. They will order it for you by request. I'm not sure if Sam's has it or not. It's around $18/bottle. Or, you could order it here: http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?sa ... &area=wine
Of course, then you have to pay shipping. Extra bonus - lovely bottle.

My favorite ports are late bottled vintage. To me, they are the perfect compromise between ruby and tawny. They are much less expensive than regular vintage ports and you dont need to wait for decades to drink them. The 94 regular vintage ports were all $50+ while you could get the 94 LBVs for under $20, and they are ready now. I still have some Noval, which is fantastic, and some Dow. More recently I have bought the Graham 98 LBV, and you should be able to get it in the upper teens at a place like Wine Discount Center. Trader Joes has a no name LBV for around $10 that is decent for the price, but doesnt compare to the others.

-Will

My go-to $10 "port" is the australian brand CLOCKTOWER.
Its warming and sweet.

And at $10ish a bottle (or less) its not so much of an investment if you find you don't like the style. Used to get it at Sam's Marcey St and maybe Trader Joe's at one point. (I recall the price increased at Sam's and was slightly less at TJs)

I really like the Hardy's Whiskers Tawny port. It's usually under $15. I've purchased it at Sam's in Downers Grove, and my local liquor store, Sal's Beverage World also carries it. Great stuff if you like the tawny.

I second the choice of Clocktower. I last found it at Trader Joe's on Lincoln Ave.

Clocktower is our house port. It's not the best or most authentic, but, in its price range, it's a perfectly respectable quaff, one I don't have to apologize for when I bring it out.

As noted above, LBV is frequently a good buy. The Taylor-Fladgate '01 can be had (I think) for under $20 in the US (it's more up here in Canada).

But my all-time crying favorite is T-F 20-yr Tawny. Oh. Oh. Oh. Every few years I beak down and buy a bottle, and nurse that sucker through a semester. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Geo

A good friend who has been collecting wine and port for some time explained to me a few years ago that Vintage Port prices track the stock market very well. When the market is down, load up on vintage port; when it is up, drink what you have loaded up on.

The market has been up, so avoid it.

Still, you might want to keep an eye on what Sam's and The Chicago Wine Company have on offer. In the auction last week, tcwc (www.tcwc.com) had some very nice vintage ports on offer with an estimate of between $20 and $40 - above your range, sure, but you may want to splurge sometime and might even find a good $20 bottle. They also sell stuff outright, but the lowest priced vintage port looks to be about $35 right now.

Have you considered some other sweet wines - say Tokaji from Hungary, or maybe Sherry or some of the more obscure dessert wines from the south of France? Flavor profiles differ greatly, but so long as you avoid Sauternes, most of these will cost much less than Port (Tokaji being the one possible exception) and you may find something you like.

Sam's may let you sample some Sherries or some Tokaji if you hit them on the right day.

Dicksond--a superb suggestion! Both Rivesaults (and its muscat version) and Banyuls are show stoppers! And the prices are right. These wines are waaaaay underknown and underrated. I've hung out a bit in Collioure, and taken every opportunity possible to drink the local sweet wine. Yum!

Tnx for the memories--

Geo

I can't think of a better pairing for chocolate than Banyuls (besides Maury)

Also, I'd recommed Roy Hersh's sitehttp://www.fortheloveofport.com/