Port paired with ?

A friend of mine is hosting a dinner to celebrate his birthday. I will be bringing a bottle of 1985 Graham's and he is wondering if he should serve it with cheese or dessert. My Port epiphany was a glass of this same vintage Port with a slice of a decadent chocolate cake. That is my preference, but I don't want to influence him based on that. I think it was years ago, that Roy Hersh said it was best served with Stilton.
How do you serve Port?

[David M. Bueker]

cheese, maybe some nuts/dried fruit

I'm not sure I've ever served a VP at my home that I didn't serve Stilton! As a more general theme, I'm with David- cheese and nuts. Stilton is magic, Gorgonzola and Cabrales aren't far behind, but pretty good match with harder/drier cheeses (aged cheddar, Gouda, Manchego) in addition to the blues.

Stilton for those who like opposites attracting; chocolate for those who like similarity attracting.

Either works.

Chocolate? With a vintage Port? Faugh!

With a Ruby, perhaps, but having chocolate with a VP is like listening to Bach on a cellphone - one should know better.

And there are (at least) two views on cheese with wine. I know that many people consider that Port and cheese are a match made in Heaven, but others (and I find myself increasingly in this camp) say that if you really must eat cheese with wine, whites hold up better than Port or other reds.

So go the stilton route if you must, but also consider just the wine on its own - Heaven knows it warrants you unalloyed attention. You can always follow up with cheese after the Port, or halfway through if you must.

Hello Diane,

I try and serve both cheese (Stilton) and a dessert. I love cheese...particularly a good Stilton, however, Port is just too sweet for me, and I really prefer to drink it with a sweet dessert. I think chocolate cake is a perfect match. I actually prefer Stilton with a Spatlese Riesling. It's not a classic match but, it's just the right sweetness for my palate with a cheese.

If you really want to enjoy the port, I would suggest pairing it with a preceding meal that is not too heavy on the alcohol

Diane,

As others have mentioned Stilton works well with VP, but my favorite pairing is Blue cheese. It turns some people off, but I think it creates a nice synergy.

A good cigar, on the mild side.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Manchego cheese is tried and tested at my port sessions, plus some nuts and dried fruits. A chocolate cake is OK for the non-geek crowd!!

Manchego cheese is tried and tested at my port sessions, plus some nuts and dried fruits. A chocolate cake is OK for the non-geek crowd!!

Non-geek = people not able or interested in giving proper attention to a wine...?

I'm in the stilton club, too, as long as the stilton is at the same temp as the VP.

[Jenise]

Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts!

SERIOUSLY. One Elliott Apter championed this combination years ago on the old Compuserve board, and I've never seen it bested. The butter and salt flavors in the dough work the same contrast angle the blue cheese does, but the chocolate works the grape flavors and the walnuts pick up the tannins and secondary nuances from aging. A chocolate torte I made once of serious chocolate cake with tweener layers of fresh ground hazelnut butter was as good for virtually all the same reasons and would be better in a formal setting, but if you go the cheese route, adding a plate of chocolate chip cookies to the table is a nice touch for those who can't be separated from their sweets, and a nice revelation to boot.

Nuts have been mentioned, but in particular, I find almonds are a great match with port. Or try an almond cake, as long as it's not too sweet.

If you do go with chocolate, make sure it's dark chocolate. The real stuff, not the candy version.

We like to serve aged vintage port with a tray of freshly-baked small appetizer crackers of bleu cheese and nuts. I will be happy to share a recipe; we play with variations on it all the time. The cracker works well with many other wines as well, our favorite being in particular Drouhin Clos des Mouches (blanc). Makes me hungry right now.

As others have mentioned Stilton works well with VP, but my favorite pairing is Blue cheese.

When people have been saying "Stilton" I was assuming they were meaning blue cheese. Or amd I missing something here? Is Blue cheese something specific? Or is white Stilton a lot more popular state-side than I would imagine.

A cheese board with Stilton and maybe a few more mature hard cheeses, is the way to go. Fruit and nuts wouldn't hurt. But frankly if I had a decent Port I'd probably be concentrating on the wine rather than the wine/food matches. For chocolate desserts and cakes, I'd go for a Red VdN, e.g. Maury - lower ABV and less to worry about spoiling.

Arghhh!

I throw up my hands at all the adulteration of the vintage Port experience with pudding, fruit, cheese.....do you guys slip a shot of cassis into your Dom Perignon, too?

Let's assume for a minute that we are talking about a lesser Port, perhaps a ruby or LBV or vintage character. What would I consume with it other than Stilton (which I agree is the queen of cheeses - hey, Rogov - there's another poll thread for you!) but one can also use any decent blue cheese, which includes many French ones as well as a Johnny-come-lately British cheese, Shropshire, a veined orange cheese.

I have a tart that I make using Roquefort and walnuts. There is no added sugar. It mates excellently with Port. I promise you I would post the recipe, but all I see in my recipe file on the computer here at work are instructions on how to debone a turkey, interesting in itself, but hardly on subject.

If anyone wants a savoury cheese and walnut tart recipe, let me know and I'll dig at home, or ask Jenise, who I expect has a better filing system than me.

And to all you walnut aficionados, I ask this question - which way works best with wine, au natural, or blanched and peeled? The coating on a walnut is pretty darned tannic/bitter, and I've seen blanched walnuts served because of this.

I much prefer black walnuts to most commercial "English" versions, unblanched. Yes, that skin is a bit bitter and a lovely contrast with the densely sweet port. The meat pieces are smaller than in English walnuts.

Steve,
In the US, Stilton means Stilton and Blue means any type of cheese with blue mold intentionally introduced as part of its character.

85 Graham's is a terrific vintage port and is on cruise control now as far as its drinkability. I would serve it with a small selection of firm cheeses, including Stilton, aged Manchego, and perhaps Piave. I'd serve fresh or preserved figs (like the Spanish fig cake) and walnut bread or roasted nuts.

For me the meal is completed whenever the port comes round and additional food would add a complication I don't need.

That's my preference & habit, rather than any crirticism of the food matches.

regards

Ian

For me the meal is completed whenever the port comes round and additional food would add a complication I don't need.

That's my preference & habit, rather than any crirticism of the food matches.

regards

Ian

I've been known to grab a warm loaf of bread, some Stilton, a few nuts, and a Port for dinner! Then, Port for the dessert

In the US, Stilton means Stilton and Blue means any type of cheese with blue mold intentionally introduced as part of its character.

OK, thanks. Pretty much like over here then. I was just a little confused because Sam seemed to imply Stilton was not a blue cheese, but that was maybe just unfortunate phrasing. Then I remembered that you can also get White Stilton.

I've been known to grab a warm loaf of bread, some Stilton, a few nuts, and a Port for dinner! Then, Port for the dessert

Cool.

All good ideas...well, maybe not the cigar. As I told my friend after reading most of these posts, you really can't go wrong with either Stilton or good chocolate, although there seem to be more votes for cheese.

Jeff - I would love the recipe for the blue cheese crackers.

My first choice would be by itself. My second choice would be with almonds. My third choice might be a small piece of stilton and my absolute last choice would be with chocolate. Like a great Sauterne, it is the dessert.
Walt