Yes, white Port wine exists.

Liquor.com dubs it the “warm-weather sleeper hit in a wide variety of drinks” and for good reason. White Port is versatile and may just be your new favorite stand-alone apéritif or cocktail mixer, whatever the season.

White Port wine is a style of Port, therefore it’s a fortified wine (meaning it undergoes a process of fortification in which a distilled grape spirit is added to stop the fermentation process).

Read on to discover more about white Port and how to enjoy it.

How is white Port wine best enjoyed?

White Port it can be enjoyed as-is, it’s a popular addition to a variety of cocktails.

The Porto Tónico — or a Port and tonic — is one of the most common ways it’s enjoyed, especially in Portugal (the birthplace of Port wine).

White Port wine ranges from being sweet to dry and therefore is highly versatile.

How is white Port made?

White Port is a fortified wine, which means it’s still made just like any other Port and has a higher alcohol content than table wine. This makes it a wonderful substitution for other liqueurs in cocktails.

White Port is made from grapes harvested in Portugal’s Douro Valley. According to Wine Enthusiast, some of these grapes include:

Malvasia Fina: A subtle, full-bodied variety that brings notes of molasses and nutmeg
Gouveio: Offers apple aromas, with lively acidity and a smooth feel
Viosinho: A low-yield variety that adds structure and intense aromas
Códega do Larinho: An old Portuguese grape with low acidity and tendency toward high alcohol
Moscatel Galego Branco: Offers aromatic lift via orange and apricot characteristics that are essential to white Port
Rabigato: Adds refreshing acidity to the blend

As Wine Enthusiast notes: “The same blend of native white grapes used to make Douro’s dry white wines are also used to create white Port.”

What does white Port taste like?

For the most part, white Port is light-bodied and fruity. Herbaceous and floral, it’s a wonderful addition to summer cocktails but can be enjoyed all year long.

Here’s to drinking Port all four seasons of the year.

Cheers,
Rebecca

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