Traditionally, foodies uncork a bottle of vino to enhance their meal.  And, they follow specific rules: white with fish, red with meat, spicy wine to stand up to spicy food, sweeter wine with hard cheese, for example.  But what happens when we toss standardized ideas out the window and pop the top off a beer to pair with a special meal?  Would it be as good as wine?  Could it be better?

Robust and flavorful, fortified wines are commonly drunk before or after a meal.  Chilled dry vermouth up with a twist of lemon is a popular apertif in Europe, for example.  A hearty tawny port is often associated with an end-of-meal salty cheese or an after-dinner cigar.  Ruby port is commonly enjoyed with a bit of chocolate.  But what about drinking port throughout the course of a meal? 

George Sandeman is the 7^th generation in the Sandeman family business, and began his apprenticeship with the company in 1971.  His long and illustrious career has taken him to stints in Oporto, Portugal; Jerez, Spain and his native England. Now, Mr. Sandeman currently serves on the board of the Sandeman company and is also the President of Comite Vins in Brussels, as well as the President of AEVP (Association of Porto Wine Companies).  It was a rare honor to hear such an expert speak about not only port, but experience his unique concept of pairing fortified wines alongside the acclaimed cuisine of Crustacean in Beverly Hills.

Mr. Sandeman explained a bit about Sandeman port’s iconic logo, a caped figure with high boots.  The appeal of the “Don” in hat, cape and boots was meant to be a mysterious figure but not one which evoked feelings of fear.  The drawing, in fact, underwent several versions before the company settled on the one with which we are all so familiar, today.

Seated, with tummies rumbling in anticipation, we began our tasting journey with coconut prawns, beef satay and chicken dumplings.  The sweet-and-savory Asian-inspired mouthfuls danced nicely with the dried fruits, nuts, honey and spice in Sandeman’s 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old Tawnys. It was a fun exercise to jump back-and-forth between the various vintages and re-try sips alongside bites of food, to measure whether we could note differing nuances with one or another. 

Next, a cheeky, young “drinking port,” called Vau Vintage 2000 was poured alongside braised short rib and demonstrated a new aspect to layering robust flavors.  This crimson young buck stood up tall beside the rich, succulent tendrils of beef, which came apart with the touch of a fork.

Mr. Sandeman also unveiled his highly anticipated 2007 Vintage Port, which is the offspring of a particularly wet, cold winter followed by an exceptionally hot summer.  Boasting firm tannins and remarkable length, it was enjoyed both on its own and in-between bites of molten chocolate cake.  (A perfect complement to an indulgent holiday dessert…)

Reasonably priced with full-bodied flavor, classic Port complements cutting edge holiday eating and drinking indulgences.  Alongside a crackling fire; sipped between mouthfuls of fanciful fare; or even whipped up as a modifier in a Springtime cocktail, opening our minds – and our palates – to Port casts light on a new way of thinking about fortified wine.