Warre’s Warrior Porto, nv (non-vintage)
price: $11-$12
suggested food pairings: hard, sharp, and/or flavorful cheeses, chocolate, pungent dried fruits and nuts

A favorite cousin from Cape Cod came to visit last week, and we made a bit of a dent in the wine cellar.  Since he and his wife were around for just one night, we made the most of it. Argentinian Chardonnay, then Champagne helped us bear day three of downpours in the middle of our favorite part of the year. When the second bottle was emptied, we built a fire in the fireplace and decided indoors wasn’t such a bad thing. Young California Cabernet was then tasted against a Chilean counterpart while steaks were cut from a rib roast and shrimp were peeled and rosemary chopped for the risotto. A magnum of old California Cabernet was opened and decanted. After dinner a bottle of ice wine hit the table to accompany the apples Foster.  By the time we decided on port with our embers and smoked cheddar, we were pished enough that the vintage stuff would not be fully appreciated and just sober enough to realize this fact. 

Enter the Warrior.

Warrior is my “go to” port.  It has been exported from Portugal every year for more than 250 years, making it the oldest continuously offered port in the world. Its consistent quality is amazing at this price, and offers all the classic port flavors that pair so well with chocolate, nuts, and cheeses. Vanilla and berries on the nose show the fruit and its relationship to 4 or 5 years of oak barreling. Although fortified to 20 percent alcohol content by the addition of grape brandy, the sugar level and spicy fruit conspire to hide the alcohol effortlessly, calling you with an insistent siren song to your second glass. This is a great item to have on hand as an everyday wine that tastes like a special-event port.

Craig Pierce can be reached at craig_l_pierce[at]hotmail[dot]com.