There is certain type of wine that is called Port wine. The word Port in the wine is short for Portugal. As a rule the port wine is basically a red wine. It is made from red grapes and currents. Although, some varieties of the port wines are also white. For the most part, Port wines have a sweet flavour and they are served as or with desert. These wines can be found in dry, semi-dry varieties as well. The Tawny wine which is most consumed in Australia, is a further classification of port wines. There are many other lesser known types of port wines such as: Ruby, reserve, Rose, Colette, Garrafeira, and many more. Since Tawny is the most consumed drink in Australia, it is best to further discuss this port wine in detail.
How Port and Tawny Wines are Different?
The most important thing to note about port wine and Tawny wines is that both these types of wines can be pretty different from one another. For the most part, port wine is ready to consume after a little aging. However, Tawny wine needs a considerable amount of time for aging and fermentation. For the most part port wines are most commonly found in the British Regions due to their sweet taste. However, Tawny wines are more dominantly favoured in places like Australia and New Zealand.
The Tawny wine can be called another type of port wine due to its similar process of brewing. However, amateur drinkers always get confused between Tawny and Port wines. The biggest reason for making the Tawny wine famous is its nutty flavour that gives a hint of dry fruits like aroma. Tawny wine is exclusively aged in oak barrels for almost a year before it can acquire its nutty taste and texture. Port wines are mostly served as a complimentary drink that is offered with deserts. However, Tawny also goes well with many savoury dishes and can be seen served with main course in many restaurants, bars and special events.
Tawny wine is made from red grapes or currents and it is top rated wines in Australia. The fermentation process is exposed to a gradual addition and exposure to oxygen. The aging period required for a tawny wine is counted in the number of decades. The least aged Tawny wine is aged for up to a period of ten years or a decade. More refined tawny wines are aged for duration of 20, 30, 40, and even 50 years. Due to its similar brewing process like the port wines, the tawny wine is also dominantly sweet. However, as the aging process continues the wine becomes drier and suitable for savoury dishes pairing.