If you’re reading this, you’re likely mulling through your Thanksgiving to-do list and wondering if you’ve missed anything. Or, alternatively, you might be traveling for the big day and are considering what to bring to the table.

You cannot go wrong with serving Port wine at Thanksgiving.

Port wine is one of the most celebratory wines.

Champagne certainly has its place among milestone celebrations like weddings and anniversaries, but Port wine belongs to the holiday season. Especially in the U.K. and Portugal, Port wine is the go-to drink to serve during the holidays. But here in the States, Port wine doesn’t quite have a place at the table… yet.

If you’re looking for the best Port wine to serve at Thanksgiving, here are my recommendations:

Vintage Port wine

Vintage Port — also known as the king of Port wine — is your best bet if you’re looking to make Thanksgiving extra special. Vintage Ports are made from a single, exceptional year and spend no longer than two years aging in wood barrels (casks) before being bottled in glass. As a result, vintage Ports are complex, elegant, and smooth.

But what exactly makes vintage Port so special? Vintage Port typically accounts for just 3 percent of the annual Port production. But not every year is ‘declared’ vintage by the industry. Vintage years are typically declared about three times a decade on average.

To serve vintage Port, a decanter is recommended as they typically contain sediment, whereas other Port wines do not. Ideally, vintage Port should be enjoyed slightly below room temperature (60°F to 64°F).

A bottle of vintage Port typically starts around $50 and goes up in price from there. Just as you would splurge on a great bottle of wine, vintage Port is money well spent. And it will go a longer way than regular wine as it’s stronger (higher alcohol content) and therefore is best consumed in smaller quantities (3 ounces versus the standard 5-6 ounce wine pour).

Tawny Port wine

If you’re looking for a near-perfect Port wine pairing for classic Thanksgiving desserts like pumpkin and pecan pie, look no further than tawny Port. Unlike vintage Port, which is aged in the bottle, tawny Ports are aged in wooden casks which gives them a chestnut-like hue. Tawny Port has a nutty, caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with the warm spices in most Thanksgiving dessert pies. I would opt for younger tawnies (10 or 20 year) as they’re less robust than their aged counterparts.

Serve tawny Port slightly chilled (below room temperature). No need to decant it.

Reserve ruby Port wine

For the newbies out there who are interested in exploring the world of Port wine but don’t quite know where to start, I recommend a reserve ruby Port. A reserve ruby is aged a bit longer than ruby Port, which makes it silkier in texture yet still very fruit-forward. I like to think of reserve rubies as the crowd-pleaser Port wine — it’s a fabulous entry-level Port that makes a bold impression and is downright fun to drink.

Serve reserve ruby slightly chilled (below room temperature). No need to decant it.

Thanksgiving is truly the great American dinner party. It’s all about tradition. It’s my hope that you make a new one this year — one that makes your friends and family linger a bit longer around the table. Together, let’s #drinkport.

Cheers,
Rebecca