port

[weewillee]

About 20 yrs. ago i was given 2 bottles of wine as a gift,1 port and 1 sherry. I think they were aged by a process called Salerno, were half the barrel [vat?] was racked and the new wine added each year to the same barrel. Never more than half racked each year, resulting in a very smooth, full body wine. I think it was from a Ca. winery [Paul Mason?] but can not locate anything similar to this. I'm going to Germany for the holidays and would like to bring something from the states to share, even though this process probably originated from Europe, maybe Italy? This is my first time on the site and hope this is where I go to for help. Thank you, Bill.

[John Moore]

HI! Wee Willi,
You are probably better off waiting until you get to Germany as they have excellent wine shops and the Port and Sherry selections there will make you dizzy with delight. OH! and by the way the quality will soon make you say Paul who?

[wondersofwine]

Port is associated with Portugal (the town or district of Oporto). Sherry is associated with Spain. Suggest you take a bottle or two of a good California Zinfandel instead. The Zinfandel grape is related to grapes found in Italy (Primitivo) and Croatia but expresses itself in a unique way in the USA. Reliable Zinfandels that can be found in most wine shops and sometimes grocery stores are Renwood or Rosenblum (I like the Rosenblum Harris Kratka or Rock Pile Road Zinfandels) or Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage or Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels. A bit more expensive (around $30 here) is Ridge Lytton Springs or Geyserville Zinfandels. They are both made with a blend of 70% or more Zinfandel and then other grapes.

[Drew]

If you wanted to stay with the Port theme and take something truly American, look for a bottle of Zinfandel Port or late harvest Port from California. There are many producers and a knowledgeable wine merchant can steer you in the right direction.

Drew

[Kcwhippet]

I really doubt the Paul Masson wines could have lasted in good condition for 20 years. The port is made by stopping the fermentation of the wine by adding brandy. The process you referred to is called the solera method and it's used to make sherry in Spain. As others have mentioned, you're better off taking something else with you. I'd second the suggestion of Zinfandel by WoW or even the Zin port Drew mentioned.