Take some time to stand and ...

THERE is no more satisfying way of finishing off a good dinner than with a good glass of vintage port in one hand and a Cuban cigar in the other! Just like the old English custom when the ladies would retire to the powder room after the meal while the gentlemen headed to the library for port and cigars. And it always had to be port - not even Yquem, nor a German dessert wine would do, except perhaps an Eiswein from Egon Muller-Scharzhof! Having been introduced to the world of fine wine during the days of colonial Singapore, one was bound to become familiar with port in its different presentations.

At the time of my initiation, much of the wine and spirits available - presumably influenced by British dining culture - included Scotch whisky, gin (and tonic), Cognac (a little), Sherry, Bordeaux (claret), port, champagne, German Rieslings, a little Spanish and Italian, in particular Chianti in round-bottom flasks sitting in cute little baskets. I liked port, finding it a most elegant and satisfying after-dinner drink, and so did some search and a little stocking up!

Port is basically a sweet red wine, which is fortified with alcohol (added during its maturation), produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern province of Portugal. It is normally served at the end of dinner with the cheese course. There are various styles of port, vintage and non-vintage, the most valued being vintage port.