Best port wine: tawny, ruby, vintage and reserve ports buying guide

Port is a Portuguese fortified wine often enjoyed alongside a cheese board, after a big meal or simply as a relaxing evening treat.

Plenty of supermarkets do own-brand versions, as well as selling big brands. Prices range from around £6.50 to more than £20, and there's plenty to consider when buying, from type to vintage and reserve options.

Spending more doesn't guarantee a better bottle, as we found when we asked independent wine expert Charles Metcalfe to try a selection of ports in 2021. But it helps to be in the know about what to look for.

We asked Charles for his tips on choosing the best bottle of port, and explain what we found when we tested supermarket ports. 

Read on for our full guide including what the difference is between red and tawny ports, decoding the label, and the best way to serve it for maximum flavour.

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Red vs tawny port: types explained

Broadly speaking, ports are split into two categories – red and tawny.

Red ports tend to spend fewer years ageing in wooden barrels or vats, which should give them a fruitier, more tannic profile and a vivid red-purple colour. 

• Ruby port is the youngest and cheapest style of red port. The best of these are bright, fruity and peppery. 
• Reserve ports come from better grapes, and are aged in wood a little longer.
• Late bottled vintage ports are of even higher initial quality, and are matured in wood for four or five years.
• Vintage ports are the top-quality red ports from a single year – and only the best years. They’re aged in wood for just a couple of years. Unlike most ports, they have the potential to develop in the bottle (more on that later).

Tawny ports are paler brown or amber in colour, with a more mellow taste. That typically comes from a longer period ageing in wood, which can impart distinct flavours of dried fruit and nuts. 

Aged tawny ports have spent a significant period of time ageing in wood. These are usually blends of fine ports from several years, averaging 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years.

Buying the best port

When we taste tested port in 2021, we found some big brands shone, but a range of supermarket options also impressed our expert. So don't discount supermarket bottles, as you might find a gem.

Ruby ports were the most variable, with some tainted by earthy rot flavours (see more below), while vintage, tawny and reserve ports generally fared better overall.

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Port wine taint: what to watch out for

Geosmin is a chemical compound that can give wines and ports an unpleasant, earthy odour, usually the result of using grape crops having been affected by rot. 

It’s safe enough to drink, but if you’re sensitive to the smell, it can be offputting, and impacts the flavour of the drink. 

When we tested supermarket ports in 2021, our wine expert Charles identified some bottles that seemed to be impacted by this, so there's always a possibility you might get a duff bottle. If you buy a bottle and it doesn't taste right, it's worth going back to the retailer to flag the issue.

Where to buy port wines

You can find a range of ports at most major supermarkets, as well as specialist retailers. Supermarkets that sell port wines include:

• Amazon
• Aldi
• Asda
• Lidl
• Morrisons
• Marks & Spencer (in-store)
• Ocado
• Sainsbury's
• Tesco
• Waitrose

Most have a selection of types and vintages to choose from, though you may get a more limited selection at smaller retailers.

When to drink port and what food to pair it with

There’s no right or wrong time to enjoy a glass of port. On British and Portuguese tables, it’s often served at the end of a meal. In France, it’s often enjoyed before a meal – or poured over melon.

Aged tawny is brilliant with stilton cheese, and very good with pumpkin pie, walnuts and milk chocolate dishes.

Ruby, reserve and late bottled ports go well with brie, camembert and cheddar, bitter chocolate dishes, as well as coffee-flavoured desserts like tiramisu.

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Is port best served chilled or at room temperature?

There’s no hard and fast rule – port is best enjoyed at whatever temperature you like it. 

According to Charles, white and tawny ports are typically served chilled, especially in summer, whereas red ports are usually served at room temperature (but not actually warmed up).

The best glass for drinking port

Port is often served in a dedicated port, sherry or dessert wine glass, which looks like a small wine glass. 

Popular wisdom suggests that the narrow rim is designed to concentrate the port’s bouquet (aroma). If you don’t have these glasses, a regular wine glass or brandy snifter will do perfectly well. 

How long will an open bottle of port stay fresh?

You might think port lasts forever after it’s been opened, but sadly that’s not the case, though it differs by type. 

Tawny keeps better than vintage since it’s already been exposed to air during maturation. Kept in the fridge or cellar, a tawny port can be enjoyed many weeks after the bottle is opened.

Vintage port has led a sheltered life – and will begin reacting with oxygen as soon as the bottle is open. For that reason, it could be significantly less good within days. Best to crack open at a big gathering, to make the most of it while it's at its best.

Can ports improve over time?

There is a tradition of giving port to a newborn to enjoy years down the line, once they’re old enough to drink it. However, the vast majority of port these days is sold to be consumed immediately, and very few will develop at all once they’re in the bottle – much less improve.

If you are buying port to squirrel away (or gift) for future years, you’ll want a decent vintage port that can mature over time. Charles warns, though, that even then there’s no way to guarantee it will change for the better. 

Should you decant port?

Decanting is the process of transferring port to a decanter or jug, while separating out any natural sediment. This sediment can either be left to settle at the bottom of the bottle, or strained through a muslin cloth.

It’s unnecessary for tawny ports and younger reds, but essential for older vintage ports, which tend to form a deposit in the bottle over time.

How to recycle your port bottles

Port bottles are widely recycled. Many councils accept mixed glass for kerbside recycling. If that’s not available in your area, most bottle banks will accept coloured glass. Natural corks may be suitable for your green bin or home compost caddy if you have one – just be sure to check your local guidelines and remove any other materials attached to it first. 

Please drink responsibly. See Drinkaware for advice.