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Port wine

Drinks & liquids · Fortified wine

Port wine

Sweet fortified red wine from Portugal's Douro Valley, used in Cumberland sauce, gravies, glazes and desserts.

Also called: port, ruby port, tawny port, porto

1 recipe with it

Photo: Jon Sullivan, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

A sweet wine fortified with grape spirit during fermentation, which keeps natural sugar in the wine and raises the alcohol to about 19–20%. It comes from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Ruby port is young and fruity and is the usual cooking choice; tawny port is aged in wood and is nuttier and more caramel-like.

How it’s used

  • Cumberland sauce and port-and-redcurrant gravies
  • Deglazing pans for duck, venison and steak sauces
  • Poaching pears and figs
  • Christmas cranberry sauce and trifles

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, rich, with dark berry and plum flavours; tawny is nuttier.
Appearance
Deep ruby-red (ruby) or amber-brown (tawny).
When cooked
Reduces quickly to a glossy syrup; its sugar helps sauces thicken and shine.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Unopened, keep upright in a cool dark place. Once opened, ruby keeps about 4 weeks and tawny 2–3 months, stoppered.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Sulphites.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains alcohol and sulphites; brief simmering does not remove all the alcohol.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
160 kcal
Protein
0.2 g
Carbohydrate
13.69 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
7.78 g

USDA FoodData Central: Alcoholic beverage, wine, dessert, sweet (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Dry red wine — Use the same amount plus 1 tsp sugar or redcurrant jelly per 100 ml.
  • Grape juice — Alcohol-free; add a squeeze of lemon to balance the sweetness.

Related ingredients

Recipes with port wine