| The Bishop of Norwich is an awfully nice fellow, | | | | |
| but he never remembers to pass the Port. | | | | An answer to this perennial problem is to use a |
| Port Wine goes back a long way, and Douro, the | | | | Hoggett Decanter. Its rounded bottom makes it |
| region in Portugal that produces it, is the third | | | | impossible to stand on the table, and the only |
| oldest protected wine region in the world. The | | | | way to let go of it, is to return it to the host, |
| General Company of Viticulture of the Upper | | | | who will rest it in the purpose made stand known |
| Douro’ was established in 1756, with the | | | | as The Hoggett’. It is also an English |
| purpose of ensuring both the quality and the price | | | | tradition to remain at the dining table until the |
| of the product. | | | | whole bottle has been emptied. All this tradition |
| | | | | and ritual almost never came to be, because |
| It was the English who took Port Wine to their | | | | grape mildew came close to wiping out the |
| hearts, after the Methuen Treaty’ in | | | | vineyards of the Douro. The crisis became so bad |
| 1703 allowed merchants to import Portuguese | | | | that root stock had to be imported from America |
| wine. However, ships often arrived in English ports | | | | to revive the flagging region. |
| with spoiled wine, so a process of fortification | | | | |
| was adopted which improved the longevity of the | | | | Port isn’t simply Port. There are Tawny |
| wine. This was a time when England was at war | | | | Ports that are made from red grapes and aged in |
| with France, so an alternative to French wine had | | | | wooden barrels and take on a golden-brown |
| to be sought, and the habit of drinking Port Wine | | | | colour. These Ports are often used as a dessert |
| developed into a tradition which has lasted through | | | | wine. |
| the years. Some of the most famous shippers | | | | |
| are still in existence today; amongst the most well | | | | Pink Port is a fairly new conception. The same |
| known are Sandeman, Cockburn, Osborne and | | | | grapes are used as in the production of Tawny |
| Croft. | | | | and Ruby Ports, but its lesser exposure to grape |
| | | | | skins help to develop the sought after pink colour. |
| The partaking of Port is not merely a case of | | | | It tastes fruitier and lighter than its cousins and is |
| having a drink’. There are rules and | | | | normally served chilled. |
| rituals to follow if you want to do it properly. It | | | | |
| was, and probably still is, a custom in the British | | | | White Port is produced from whitegrapes. This |
| Navy to pass the wine port to port. The host | | | | versatile option can be used as the basis of a |
| should fill the glass of the person sitting to their | | | | cocktail, or will stand alone as a quality drink |
| right, and then pass the bottle to their left. The | | | | ranging from dry to very sweet. |
| bottle goes all around the table until everyone has | | | | |
| Port in their glass. Of course, there is always the | | | | Late Bottled Vintage Port is wine that was |
| problem of the bottle becoming stuck by a | | | | originally earmarked as vintage, but for one |
| certain person, but it is bad practice to directly | | | | reason or another remains in the barrel for longer |
| ask for the Port. The correct procedure is to say | | | | than was anticipated. They are bottled between |
| to the person who is delaying the movement of | | | | four and six years after the vintage. The term |
| the bottle Do you know the Bishop of | | | | Late Bottled Vintage’ was first coined |
| Norwich?’ Usually, reminding the culprit of | | | | in 1969 by Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman, who |
| the mean Bishop does the trick, but if the person | | | | used this name after the bottling in that year of |
| is not au fait with the etiquette of Port drinking, | | | | the 1965 vintage. These Ports tend to be lighter |
| and simply says no, you would then have to add | | | | than a vintage, with bottles since 2002 carrying |
| he’s an awfully nice fellow, but he | | | | the words Bottle Matured’. |
| never remembers to pass the Port.’ | | | | |