port vs. sherry

Classified together as liqueur wines, Port and Sherry are polar opposites in terms of style. Both are fortified with grape spirit - Sherry after fermentation which means the wine is dry, Port during fermentation which means the wine retains sugar and sweetness.

Sherry has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. With the current trend for drier styles of wine, the popularity of Sherries such as Fino and Manzanilla has never been higher.

Port also is unique but, like Sherry, produces a range of styles. From Ruby with its fiery character, to soft and mellow aged Tawny, Port is an ideal drink with which to chill out at the end of the day. At the top of the pile stands vintage Port -incomparable and unsurpassable. Produced only in the finest years, vintage Port is the flagship for the port houses, but is not for the faint-hearted. A monster of a wine with HUGE intensity, power and concentration, it should ideally mature for 15 to 20 years before opening.