Wine of the Week: Symington’s 2015 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port

 We don’t see enough Port these days. Does anyone really drink it anymore? I think somewhere along the line Port developed a reputation as an old-fashioned wine, something your grandfather might have enjoyed after dinner while sitting in a leather chair smoking a cigar.

I love me a good Port and I am guilty for not thinking about it more often.

My neighbors came over for dinner recently and brought a cherry pie for dessert. Paul jumped up and announced he had the perfect pairing. (I taught him well.) He disappeared into the wine closet and came back holding a bottle of Symington’s 2015 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port. 

And let me tell you, he absolutely nailed this pairing. (I have to give credit where credit is deserved)

What makes a Vintage Port special

Not every year produces a Vintage Port. A vintage is only declared when the grapes are truly exceptional, when the growing season delivers fruit worthy of bottling on its own and aging for decades. So when you open one, you’re tasting a year the winemakers felt was something special.

Quinta do Vesuvio

The Symington family acquired Quinta do Vesuvio in 1989, and it’s considered one of the most magnificent properties in Portugal’s Douro Valley. What sets it apart is tradition: Vesuvio is the last major Douro estate to make its Ports exclusively by foot treading in granite lagares, an unbroken practice dating back to 1927. Yes, people still crush these grapes by foot, and you can taste the care in the glass.

Only 11,400 bottles of the 2015 were produced.

In the glass

The blend is 60% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca and 10% Sousão. The aroma is intense, all deep, dark fruit. On the palate it’s beautifully balanced, full bodied with concentrated fruit laced with dark plum and baked cherry. It manages to be rich and powerful yet elegant at the same time, which is exactly what you want from a great Port.

And that baked cherry note? Next to a slice of cherry pie, was a wowzer!. The fruit in the wine and the fruit in the pie simply lifted each other up.

So, is Port sweet?

One of the questions I often hear is, "Isn't Port really sweet?"

Yes, Port generally contains a significant amount of residual sugar. But a good Port is about so much more than sweetness.

Port is fortified, which means grape spirit is added during fermentation, stopping it before all the natural sugar turns to alcohol. That gives you a wine that’s both rich and sweet, and stronger than your average glass of red.

That’s also why you don’t drink a lot of it. Port is a finishing wine, the one you pour with dessert as you wind down the evening. A small glass goes a long way.

How to enjoy it

• With dessert: Fruit pies, dark chocolate, and blue cheeses like Stilton are classic matches.
• Skip dessert? Pair it with a good cigar instead.
• Serving tip: Vintage Port throws sediment, so decant it before pouring and serve slightly cool, around 60–62°F.

Port may not be the trendiest bottle on the shelf, but it’s one of wine’s great pleasures. Next time you’re ending a dinner with friends, reach past the coffee and pour a little Port. You'll be glad you did.