For The Love Of Port

You know the categories, but if someone offered to provide any Port that was 40 years or younger, which would you choose to pair with a perfectly cooked steak?

Think LBV, Tawny with an indication of age, Crusted, Ruby Reserve, Colheita, Vintage Port, White Port ... any other you can come up with. Which would it be?

I would choose the Churchill's Finest Reserve. The nice dark port has a hint of paprika and a litte pepper, so should match wel. Never tried it though

I'd go for a ruby reserve. Primary and straightforward to drink along with a steak. I wouldn't want the port to be a "main event" kind of port or be too soft and woody.

Ruby Reserve, a more juicier one than a dryer one or a Dows LBV.

I'd go with a 1985-ish VP, or an aged LBV with 15+ years in bottle.

Don't get me wrong - very young, juicy Ports like young LBVs and Ruby Reserves also go very well with steak. But given the chance for the perfect pairing, I'd go with something nearing its peak but not quite there yet. Most 1970s and older Ports won't hold up well against a juicy steak, but the top-end 1983s and 1985s work very well.

Glenn E. wrote:I'd go with a 1985-ish VP

I agree I'd go with a 85' SWC or perhaps a 13' Senhora da Ribeira (Only choosing from wine I have tasted).

I'm more in Glenn's realm. I'd check the cellar for a relatively powerful but not necessarily greatly complex VP, maybe a 1985, a lower named 1994, or possibly one of those lesser or odd years that might not go the distance but still has enough strength to stand up to the steak. 1997 Neipoort? 1992 Cockburn Quinta dos Canais? Maybe a Fonseca Guimaraens or Dow Quinta do Bomfim? And LBV might work as well.

And I have had Port with my beef steak, grilled lamb, duck, etc. Works fine with the right main course

I'll be ordering Port with my steak at Craftsteak this weekend in Las Vegas.

For me. A good younger VP, LBV, or ruby reserve.


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Glenn E. wrote:I'll be ordering Port with my steak at Craftsteak this weekend in Las Vegas.

Let me guess, you are going to order a Porterhouse steak?

Edward J wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:I'll be ordering Port with my steak at Craftsteak this weekend in Las Vegas.

Let me guess, you are going to order a Porterhouse steak?

Of course! It's the best steak to pair with Port!

I would go with a fairly young LBV.

Just last week I had a fantastic Brazilian Picanha-steak paired with Graham's "Six Grapes". It was just perfect together. The more I drank, the better was the steak - the more I ate, the better was the Port...

I'll often pair a steak with a port. If I'm at home it's likely to be a bottle of the most recent vintage, say 2011 or 2015, or a young LBV. I find the fruit and the tannins of the young ruby ports perfectly compliment a sweet, juicy steak (cooked black and blue or medium rare). If I'm out with friends and we're at a BYO restaurant it would be more likely to be a burly port with 30-ish years of age — a Fonseca or Graham 1985 would be a perfect choice.

I've tried 20YO TWIAO and felt that the acidity and flavours just don't work well with steak (but try with duck a l'orange!). I've not really found a savoury food that goes with colheita or tawny port so any suggestions would be welcome.

in my limited experience i would either go for somethingfull bodied but fruity, like a Noval Black. it also has a short aftertaste so it leaves enough space for the steak. or 1999 DOW's Bomfim SQVP because i remember it being very strong and peppery in taste so it could add something to the steak (and the other way around) instead of being in contrast with it.

Youngish Vintage. The tannins go well with the fat of a good steak.

Ruby Reserve like Fonseca Bin 27 is my first thought.

Any Port that is more fruit forward. A young VP, SQVP, Crusted, Ruby Reserve, etc.

Tawny's, IMO, don't go well at all with steak.

Andy Velebil wrote:Tawny's, IMO, don't go well at all with steak.

agreed