wine

How Ports and Port-style come up winners

story by Cara Recine This fi rst commercial Port-style The fi rst is the was a 1995 , and, not traditional, classic Good wines almost always start only has it won all kinds of awards, way, which is used by with a good story and a colorful it has inspired other modern Renzaglia and Hand. past, and Port-style dessert wines to try their hands at The is fermented are no different. the wine. until it reaches the sugar In the 17th century, during Along with Renzaglia and content desired by the one of Britain’s many confl icts Alto , Karen Hand at . “The sweetness with France, the English wanted Blue Sky in Makanda comes from natural sugars nothing to do with French wines. and Dr. Paul Jacobs at Von Jakob and fermentation,” Hand They were reluctant to give up Vineyard in Pomona and Alto said. That’s when the brandy wine altogether, so they turned Pass, were recent winners for their – grape spirits (wine distilled to Portugal, where they would sweet, Port-style dessert wines at to a higher proof of alcohol) dock ships and stock up. But they the 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine – is added. The wine is then needed a way to give the wine a Competition in late June. aged in barrels anywhere from better chance of surviving the long Obviously, they have the most several months to years. ocean voyage north to England. common profi le down: “The barrels are neutral “Let’s add some brandy to it,” Red and sweet and served as a barrels,” Hand explained. “They someone must have suggested. So dessert wine, Ports are richer and no longer impart fl avors to they did, and not only did this full-bodied with more alcohol the wine while aging. I don’t “fortifi ed” wine make the trip, it content – about 18 percent alcohol want any oak fl avor in my tasted better, too. – which is why they’re called Port.” A few hundred years later, Guy fortifi ed wines. After bottling, it’s aged Renzaglia, known as the father “Dessert-style Ports should also another year before being of the Southern be rich and luscious,” Renzaglia released to the public. The industry, decided he would try his said. wine continues to age in the talented hand at Port-style dessert Ports can also come in dry, bottle, and should get better, wines. semi-dry and white varieties, even after opening. “It was actually my brother but that’s not found nearly as “It’s remarkable how good Mark’s idea to call it di often. that ’95 Porto di Guido is,” Guido, to honor my father,” said said Renzaglia, who recently Paul Renzaglia, Guy’s son and How it’s made hosted a vertical tasting in current owner, manager and There are two ways to make a which all of Porto winemaker at Alto Vineyards. Port-style dessert wine. di Guido were tasted and

A Port by any other name Go to www.WineCountrySI.com Ports are fortifi ed wines made in “Port” on a label unless it comes from the for articles, winemaker profi les, Portugal from the Douro region, the Portuguese region, like the third-oldest protected wine region in or Burgundy regions in France. They left events and more from around the world. Ports are made worldwide, a little wiggle room, though. When the Southern Illinois. but they can’t completely claim the ruling came down in 2006, winemakers name anymore. In 2006, the European who were making Port wines before that Community’s Protected Designation of were allowed to keep the “Port” name on Origin made it illegal to use the name their labels. Others must use “Port-style.”

36 Life & Style : Fall 2012 compared. “We cracked it open for the tasting, and it was even better than before.” Winning Ways One of the most exciting things for Hand is following these Alto Vineyards, Blue Sky and Von Jakob Winery received traditional methods with a regional and modern approach. awards for their Port-style dessert wines at the 2012 Illinois State “I think it’s wonderful to take something so traditional and Fair Wine Competition in late June. Sponsored by the Illinois Grape discover how to follow that tradition while fi nding out what Growers and Vintners Association, judges there awarded: works for our region,” she said. The second way to create a Port-style dessert wine is to ALTO VINEYARDS ferment the wine to dry, then add sugar and wine spirits. 2011 Porto di Guido (Chambourcin grapes) Silver This method is used by Jacobs at Von Jakob, who says he was Paul Renzaglia: It’s a premium Port. It really speaks best to the traditional, inspired by Guy Renzaglia to begin making Port. The winery’s classic Ports. fi rst commercial release was in 1997. “I like this method for a couple of reasons,” Jacobs said. “It’s NV* Heartland Port (Concord grapes) Bronze easier for me to control, and it’s easier to get a balance of sugar Paul Renzaglia: This is a fun, lighter wine. It’s very approachable and a good and alcohol.” introduction to Ports. All use different grapes in the Port-style wines, and sources say anywhere from 80 to 120 grape varieties are used in wine- BLUE SKY VINEYARD NV* Norton Renaissance (Norton grapes) Double Gold/Best Dessert wine producing countries. from any appellation Karen Hand: I like Norton grapes for Port-style wines. The higher acidity Storing can stand up to the sweetness and the spirits. Like other red wines, Port-style dessert wines are best stored on their sides in a cool, dark environment; they defi nitely need VON JAKOB VINEYARD a constant and consistent temperature. They should be served 2009 Red Oak Port (Chambourcin grapes) Bronze at about 65 degrees. Paul Jacobs: It’s slightly lighter and fruitier, full-bodied but light. Once opened, a good Port can last weeks, months or years, depending on the quality of the wine. And, like any dessert *NV: Non-Vintage is usually a blend of like varieties from two or wine, with Ports, you have a little more time to keep it because more vintage years. In Vintage Port-style wines, at least the higher alcohol content protects the wine from oxidation. 85 percent of the original wine must come from the same year’s Traditional Port styles usually just get better, once open. . “It continues to age in the bottle and actually changes,” “I like creating a Non-Vintage Port-style,” says Karen Hand. “It Renzaglia said. “It gets better, more caramelized.” gives me more fl exibility, to combine the best wine from the best grapes.” To create the Norton Renaissance, she used Serving 75 percent Norton grapes, 25 percent Frontenac from 2009. Decanting is good. Uncork the bottle and let it breath for about 30 minutes before serving. Most Ports are served in a smaller glass in smaller amounts because of the intensity and alcohol content. A serving temperature of about 65 degrees is recommended. Pairings You can’t go wrong drinking a Port-style wine all by itself. It is dessert! I t can easily be paired though, if you want a one- two punch. Try it with chocolate, rich nuts, Stilton or Cheddar cheeses, darker fruits. If you’re so inclined, pairing a Port with a high-quality cigar has been a traditional way to imbibe. If you go to Alto for a tasting, ask to try it with a little Fresh Butter and Cream Fudge from Julie’s Corner Store in Lacon, Ill. In their restaurant, Von Jakob uses it to cook. “It makes a very nice reduction sauce,” said Frank Wesseln, tasting room manager. “We also use it to make the winery’s in-house salad dressing, a sweet vinaigrette.” Wesseln also recommends pairing Port with a German chocolate cake or cheesecake. —Additional sources: wine.about.com, wineintro.com and wineenthusiast.com

CARA RECINE is editor of Life & Style in Southern Illinois and features and special projects editor at The Southern Illinoisan. Email her at [email protected].

Life & Style : Fall 2012 37