Port wine

Serve ruby port slightly cool, around 12–16 °C, and tawny port around 10–14 °C. A short spell in the fridge can bring a warm bottle to a better serving temperature.

Recork it tightly and keep it in the fridge; ruby port is best within a few weeks, while tawny port often stays enjoyable for a month or longer. A change in aroma or flavour is a good reason to use it in cooking rather than serve it.

Ruby port pairs well with blue cheese, dark chocolate and berry desserts; tawny port suits hard cheeses, nuts and caramel or dried-fruit puddings. Serve a small glass alongside the food rather than pouring it over the plate.

Yes: simmer it with shallots and stock for a sauce for roast meat, or reduce it with fruit for a poaching liquid or dessert sauce. Add it early enough to cook down, then taste before adding sugar because port is already sweet.

For a savoury sauce, use an equal amount of sweet vermouth or red wine with a little sugar; for a dessert, use grape juice with a splash of red-wine vinegar for acidity. The result will lack port’s fortified-wine character.

Ruby port is aged to retain a deep colour and fresh, fruit-forward flavour. Tawny port is aged in wooden casks, where gradual oxidation gives it a lighter colour and notes of nuts, caramel and dried fruit.

Port is made from grapes grown in Portugal’s Douro Valley. During fermentation, grape spirit is added to stop fermentation, leaving natural grape sweetness in the wine.

Yes. Recork the bottle and refrigerate it to slow oxidation; let the amount you plan to serve warm slightly if you prefer it less chilled.