1948 Shaking with Eddie by Eddie Clarke

PORT

There are different types of Port, red, white or tawny, and, of course, a difference in the style, age, strength and sweetness.

Vintage Port is the best. This is a " Red " Port and, if the wine of any year shows exceptionally well, the very best are selected, examined by expert tasters and laid aside. The grapes must be perfectly sound and perfectly ripe when picked and a good " sunny " year is usually a " Vintage " year. They are shipped from Oporto about eighteen months to two years after the Vintage and are bottled in England soon after landing. Time is then given for maturing and if given sufficient time in a peaceful home, away from the light of day, changes of temperature and all shocks, the result is a perfect wine after about twelve to fifteen years. Tawny ports are blends of Ports of different years matured in cask in the presence of much more oxygen—the oxygen from the air—so that the rate of maturation is more rapid, resulting in loss of colour and strength. The older it is the dearer it is, but it is never so dear as Vintage Port. Ruby Port is a fairly young wine, less expensive than Tawny or Vintage Port. Wh i t e Port is cheaper still, is favoured by ladies, is white in colour and sweet of taste. Some of the best Vintage years were 1927, 1924, 1922, 1920 and 1917. 1912 was shipped by nearly all shippers, as were also the wines of 1908, 1904, 1900 and 1896. There were also wines not shipped as Vintages by many shippers, but excellent wines such as Graham 1897 and Sandeman 1911. Previous to 1896 wines like 1887 the " Jubilee " Port, 1878, 1875, 1868, 1863, 1851, 1847, back to

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