Keith Lawes, American Liquor Alliance

2009-03-05T03:14:00.000-08:00

GLOBAL WINE AND SPIRITS

Ruby Port
The most basic and often least-expensive port. Ruby port is bottled young with very little time in cask and sold with no aging required. It keeps its bright ruby color and the best wines show red fruity-spice and warmth. A fine ruby or reserve ruby is usually higher in quality.

Global Wine and Spirits

Other than Port, the most notable export successes for Portuguese wines have been Vinho Verde (a high acid white wine that goes well with seafood) and the Portuguese Ros?s (Mateus & Lancers) that were so popular in the U.S.A. in the early 1970's.

ANDY TASKER

About Keith Lawes: Rosé

Some Champagne and sparkling wine is pink. It's more rare, and more robust, and sometimes more expensive. But it's one of those wines that is just deliciously appealing. The pink color in a rosé sparkler comes from the skins – which means that the wine must include at least one of the red grapes of the traditional method – Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. After pressing the grapes, the juice sustains contact with the skins for a while, and so acquires some color. After this the wine is processed like other Champagne and sparkling wine. Depending on the length of time with the skins, a rosé sparkling wine can range from light salmon to deep pink. This style of wine is a perfect bubbly to last through dinner and stand up to a nice filet.
About Andy Tasker