Dow’s port wines
For over two hundred years the name Dow’s has been associated with Port from the Upper Douro Valley in Portugal.
The Symington family built on this history throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and now Dow’s represents everything from vintage ports through single vineyard examples and aged Tawny Port.
Only wines that are produced in Portugal’s Douro Valley can be labelled Port or Oporto in Europe.
Dow’s Port is perfect for early consumption with vintage ports being ideal for aging and handing down through generations.
Port wine is most commonly enjoyed after a meal or as a nightcap.
It is also used to add complexity to many cocktails, such as the delicious Port Coffee Martini. The easy coffee martini recipe combines Port wine, cold brew coffee and Irish cream for a simple three-ingredient drink, perfect as an after-dinner cocktail!
Even the sweetest of sweet wines, like, say, vintage Port, has a lot less sugar than you’d expect, topping out at about 10 carbs per glass – way less than most glasses of beer.
Port typically has a higher alcohol content than red wine. That being said, it is enjoyed in smaller quantities and usually in moderation. A little goes a long way when it comes to sipping on Port!
With an alcohol level of up to 20%, a glass too many of Port can give you a colossal hangover the next morning!
With young to prime-of-life mature ports – anything up to 40 years of age – the exposure to oxygen works to open up the powerful and concentrated character of the wine.
With older ports – 40 years or more – you should decant just 30 minutes to an hour before drinking.
Port wine is best served in 3-ounce (75ml) portions at 13-20°C. So, a full 750ml bottle can serve up to 10 people.
It is acceptable and recommended to put ice in port wines while having them as aperitifs…as that dilutes the 20% alcohol.
Port is a fortified wine, which is a digestif. Its higher alcohol content is thought to aid digestion as alcohol stimulates digestive enzymes after a big meal.
Port goes well with savoury foods.
New at AE Club
Dow’s Fine White Port
Aged primarily in wood, Dow’s Fine White is a rich golden colour and presents intense complex and rich nutty aromas. A certain amount of wine is not wood aged and is blended in to add freshness and fruit character. On the palate, balanced and smooth, with excellent acidity and a long finish.
Dow’s LBV Port 2016
Deep, brooding black fruit aromas and floral essences of violets and rockrose with a sprinkling of mint and subtle notes of pine needles. Big and substantial on the palate, broad and mouth-filling with ripe berry fruit and brambles – compact and concentrated. Peppery tannins provide structure and a sense of freshness that brings the fruit to life. The full, voluptuous fruit flavours are balanced by Dow’s hallmark drier finish.
Buy these two new Ports at aeclub.com.my.
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