For The Love Of Port

I've long heard that the sediment from Vintage Port is sweet enough, thick enough and plentiful enough to be spread on toast for breakfast. Has anyone actually EVER tried this or is just a funny way of telling people what to do with the remainders of a bottle?

Huh?!? I never even though of using sediment as the spread on some toast (or for that matter, reusing the sediment at all). I suppose that there would be quite a bit of sweetness and the texture would be about right, although I shudder to think what my teeth might look like afterwards.

Marc

Some years ago, at a tasting hosted by one of the Guimaraens family (I forget which ), he told a story about his days as a young man in the UK. Apparently they had a very good customer in the north of England, a lady who regularly bought vintage port. He felt he really ought to go and see her. He found her to be a little old lady who, on being asked about her enjoyment of port replied that she didn't like port at all and poured it down the sink, saving only the sediment to have on bread for her tea.

Re: Sediment on Toast for Breakfast ...

Post by Michael Ferrier » Wed Jul 07, 2010 8:06 am
Some years ago, at a tasting hosted by one of the Guimaraens family (I forget which ), he told a story about his days as a young man in the UK. Apparently they had a very good customer in the north of England, a lady who regularly bought vintage port. He felt he really ought to go and see her. He found her to be a little old lady who, on being asked about her enjoyment of port replied that she didn't like port at all and poured it down the sink, saving only the sediment to have on bread for her tea.

I need a friend like that---I get the port, she gets the sediment, we split the cost!!!!

He found her to be a little old lady who, on being asked about her enjoyment of port replied that she didn't like port at all and poured it down the sink, saving only the sediment to have on bread for her tea.

What a funny idea.

Wouldn't it be hard to get that much sediment out of the bottle? (At least without diluting it using water) This from someone with thus far very limited experience decanting Port.

Michael Ferrier wrote:Some years ago, at a tasting hosted by one of the Guimaraens family (I forget which ), he told a story about his days as a young man in the UK. Apparently they had a very good customer in the north of England, a lady who regularly bought vintage port. He felt he really ought to go and see her. He found her to be a little old lady who, on being asked about her enjoyment of port replied that she didn't like port at all and poured it down the sink, saving only the sediment to have on bread for her tea.

This is a classic "legendary tale" ! It even has a place in a little book I have called: Legendarische wijnverhalen (legendary winetales)! It even seems that the VP's she poured down the drain to get to the sediment, were always the '63 ones!! (actually, if there is any truth in that story, it is a sad sad sad one )

So, still ... no one we know here has tried this eh?

Having heard many variations on this story, I did taste the sediment that I'd poured out of a bottle ones. I wouldn't call it pleasant and certainly wouldn't spread it on toast and eat it, but I also wouldn't call it unpleasant. It was just... strange.

I've tasted sediment, and it was like licking an old chalkboard, but not used it as a spread on toast. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.

I thought I had read somewhere that people have used the sediment in cooking. Has anyone tried that?

Today I was reading Jacques Pépin's autobiographical "The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen", and in it he mentions that his mother used the sediment from red wine for cooking. So I imagine Port sediment could be used similarly. (So far I find the book fascinating and would recommend it to anybody who's interested in learning about the life of this famous chef).

a few years ago a restaurant owner or chef (I forget) came on TV and suggested that the VP sediment should be spread on hors d'oeuvres crackers as the base for other toppings such as goat cheese or something else...

I almost bust a rib laughing, still do... Really, explore the 200+ years of VP and show me some solid reference to this practice. Neither the Brits nor the Portuguese ever did this.

This is someones bad joke or a way to recover as much of the cost of the VP as possible. Bet they have some ideas for the cork too. I know dip in melting chocolate and then roll it around in your mouth like candy.

cheers
Paul

First ever VP , 1991 Warres .
Enough to spread on two toasts .
The inlaws thaught I was nuts ( they said Cabral was very good
Back to the spread , tasted blueberrys .

I used a couple of dessert spoons of sediment last weekend to enrich the stock used for my gravy. It was good gravy, but I don't know whether that was because of the sediment or just a particularly good joint of meat that gave lots of glaze onthe roasting dish. I will need to try it a few more times and see whether the gravy made with sediment is consistently better than made without.

I thought I had read somewhere that people have used the sediment in cooking. Has anyone tried that?

Does the grainy nature of the sediment go back into solution when doing a sauce or used in other preparation?

Al B. wrote:I used a couple of dessert spoons of sediment last weekend to enrich the stock used for my gravy. It was good gravy, but I don't know whether that was because of the sediment or just a particularly good joint of meat that gave lots of glaze onthe roasting dish. I will need to try it a few more times and see whether the gravy made with sediment is consistently better than made without.

Also regularly do this. It needs to be stirred fairly vigorously (as any good gravy should be) to emulsify the grains into the liquid properly but it's lovely and rich once that's been done.