PORT - fortified and silky !

After our Sunday tennis session last week, our tennis master cum CEO & chef d'insparational, whom we shall refer to as Big R, decided that our playing efforts that morning warranted Bak Cu Teh, so off we went to our regular BCT hangout in SS23. An authentic TeowChew join serving clear broth type BCT with good selections of Chinese Tea.

Over the course of the breakfast, Big R's doubles partner Terry brought up the subject of Port. What is a Port ? Is Port Klang a Port?, yes ! but a port of a different kind.....

Port, in Dionysusland is actually a Portugese red wine that has been infused with grape spirit to stop it from a complete grape fermentation. The result is a fantastic sweet desset wine (fortified wine) with about 20% alcohol. Versions of Port includes Vintage, LVP, Tawny, White Port etc.

The history of Port Wine dates back to the 17th Century in the the steep and rocky slopes of the Upper Douro and its tributaries in Portugal. The British were at war with the French and their traditional supply of wine from Bordeaux was cut off as a result. Wine from Douro Valley in Portugal was their alternative supply. Early shipments of wines from Portugal however, did not survive the long sea voyage through the Atlantic, and the British folks were getting vinegar instead of wine ! Hence, the process "fortification" or adding grape spirit to wine as a preservation method was introduced. Due to its high alcohol content, Port was well preserved and travelled well. Fortification also saw this wine developed into a product that is silky sweet, complex and opulent which could improve well over 20 years or more. These days, it is not uncommon for Port Houses to release their wines more than 7 years after bottling. Port wine is usually drank as dessert beverage after a meal and the general rule of thumb is to pair it with a strong cheese. My personal favourite Port moment involved a Romeo & Juliet Churchill, a glass of 82 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port, and a purple velvet pool table with a good friend of mine !! Go seek out your own Dionysus moment Terry!

BTW, I have never paired BAK CU TEH with wine...wonder if a high altitude herby Argentinian Malbec or a Merlot will go well with it or perhaps my 82 Smith Woodhouse ? or is it too "heaty" to pair BCT with alchohol.. either way, I say just do the Moss & Winslet Analysis and you will not go wrong !