Quinta do Vallado, Tawny Porto, 10 Years Old (500 ML)

Since my first job in the wine business was in the Douro region of Portugal, I have a deep appreciation for Port wine—and yet we offer relatively few Ports here on SommSelect, because we don’t see the kind of demand for these wines that once existed. The Douro is not only one of the most visually stunning wine regions on earth, it’s also one of the most historic, but for all its significance and “brand equity” in the wine world, many people have the same question: How do we drink these wines?I’ll catalog several scenarios below, because Port—and especially the wood-aged Tawny style, which lends itself to a wider variety of applications than the richer, sweeter, Ruby/Vintage versions—deserves a place at your table. Quinta do Vallado is a family-owned estate with a profound Portuguese ancestry, and this 10-Year-Old Tawny is a textbook (and very well-priced) expression of the style—especially when you consider that this is far from a “one sitting” type of wine. Have a glass or two tonight