Eating Port

Frederick Blais · Post by **Frederick Blais** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:36 am

Here is a link to an article published on a French web forum, some article are written in English and this one could interest some of you:

http://www.crusetsaveurs.com/modules/ne ... toryid=587

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 12:07 pm

I may have to give that a try the next time I open a VP. I dont see why it would not be tasty. After all it is just left over grape.

In September, around harvest time, I used to make fresh grape juice from fresh picked grapes of a friends winery. Not a lot, just enough for a few glasses in the morning. Any more than that and I got yelled at. It was the best tasing pure grape juice you could ever have. Makes all the store bought stuff taste like plunk.

Jay Woodruff · Post by **Jay Woodruff** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 3:07 pm

I have heard of this but never tried it.

Wouldn't this be bitter just lik any other sediment from a red wine? Sure, there may be some leftovers of the grape skin as mentioned, but I have tasted sediment from a wine before and it was not a nice grapey, jam-like taste.

Let us know but it does not sound good.

Jason Brandt Lewis · Post by **Jason Brandt Lewis** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:00 pm

I'm sorry, but this guy doesn't have a clue!

Not only should there be NO grape skin left -- after multiple rackings, possible fining and filtration -- but the sediment is polymerized tannins. There's nothing sweet and grapey about it!

Bleh!

Frederick Blais · Post by **Frederick Blais** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 6:02 pm

I once tried just to taste the crust of an old port and it is not that bad, a bit bitter but definitively more tasty than the sediments from dry red wine.

Jason, I don't know where you took the reference to grape skin, but it is not in the text. To my knowledge, vintage port, the type of port used for the sediment recipe does not have any racking, fining or filtration in its fabrication process. So in addition to the polymerized tannins in the sediments you'll also have dregs which is more viscous and gives that "jammy" texture to the Vintage Port crust.

Jason Brandt Lewis · Post by **Jason Brandt Lewis** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:43 am

Fred, if you found it "jammy," all I can say is "different strokes for different folks." I personally find it just this hhort of being as nasty as the sediment in dry table wine, and I have no desire to "eat Port" again.

As far as the grape skin reference, Jay wrote (in the post preceding mine):

Sure, there may be some leftovers of the grape skin as mentioned . . .

Cheers,
Jason

Frederick Blais · Post by **Frederick Blais** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:04 am

I agree that it is not like jam you find in jars at the market, this is why I've put the word between quotes " ", the refenrence to jammy was more that you can spread it easily on a piece of bread.

Another use for the sediments is for a gravy base, I've seen some restaurants doing so and its delicious.

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:47 pm

Ok everyone, tonight I took the challenge. For science sake...well, OK, just for S***'s and giggles.

So I finished a VP tonight and thought I would try the left overs. For the most part it didn't have much in the way of flavor. A bit bitter for about 1 second then instantly became chalky. THis left a really nasty chalky feeling in my mouth, like i licked an old chalk board eraser. Other than that, there was no other flavors.

Who ever said they use it on their bread was smoking too much wacky tobacco. I tried it once, and never again...I'll leave it at that!

Jason Brandt Lewis · Post by **Jason Brandt Lewis** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:53 pm

Well, Andy, that's always been MY experience with the stuff. I don't have a clue what the guy was smoking, but a) I'm sure it's illegal in most of the western world, and b) I'd rather smoke that than eat the sediment!