It depends on how long you anticipate aging it for! If something is left to sit for time, let it rest on its side away from direct sunlight, just as you would any fine wine. If you have an open bottle, you can store it at room temperature or in the fridge. Chilling a bottle will extend the lifespan — the cold slows down the oxidation process.

Like its neighbour Spain, Portugal has been undergoing something of a quiet revolution over the last twenty years or so. A reluctance to follow trends and plant international grapes is now paying dividends and the new breed of full-blooded, fruit-filled wines are more than able to compete on the world stage. The unique flavours that are the hallmark of Portugal's indigenous grape varieties have become its trump card. To find the best port, the GHI’s panel of 10 WSET-trained experts and consumers tried 32 bottles – from white to ruby – from the leading supermarkets and big brands. Each was tasted blind to prevent brand bias, and they were looking for easy-drinking styles that would work well with a classic cheese board and desserts. Are you planning on letting your port rest for years? Consider a port with age-worthy qualities. Look for vintages that show potential, or consider vintage bottled-aged ports that are crafted to sit for years to come.A tawny port aged in the Douro ages differently and more rapidly than that aged in the cooler conditions of Vila Nova de Gaia where most of the shippers’ lodges are to be found. Here, annual evaporation tends to be no more than 1% or 2%, whereas in the Douro the figure is around 3%. One single quinta making 10-year-old tawny estimates that by keeping the wine up in the Douro, the ageing process is accelerated by around 30%. A higher rate of evaporation serves to concentrate the natural residual sugars and the higher temperature produces wine with a distinctive toasted richness, known as ‘Douro bake’.

Kate Dingwall is a seasoned wine and spirits writer and trained sommelier. She’s spent a good amount of time hiking up and down the Douro Valley and complains about her legs accordingly. Burgundy: In Burgundy a small proportion of monumental wines from old vines were produced this heatwave year, but generally the frail Pinot Noir grape suffered raisining and made some very unusual wines indeed, some of which provided good, luscious drinking when tasted in 2008. Dry tannins are expected to make their presence increasingly felt over time. Rosé Port – A new style of port pioneered by the Croft Port House in 2008, rosé port is made much like a rosé wine, with brief exposure to the grape skins giving a delicate pink hue. Serve chilled over ice to get the best out of your bottle. What food to pair with port Both tawny and ruby ports could benefit from a slight chill, and white ports should be kept at fridge temperature.Champagne: Spring frosts followed by one of the hottest summers on record led to small volumes and typically very ripe wines of middling quality. However, 2003 did produce some fine Pinot Noir-dominant blends. The 20-Year-Old Port Pipe Decanter is the next instalment, and promises to deliver something quite distinct from the previous entry, having spent a stint maturing in a barrel that once housed the Douro Valley’s famous fortified wine. White! Rose! Tawny! Vintage! There are different ports for different people. Whites are bright and best served chilled, vintage ports are pricier, but ready to sit in your cellar. Rose ports are a happy medium – easy for sunny days, after dinner drinks, and beyond. Provided the wine has been well nurtured, a certain amount of bake can be a positive characteristic in a mature tawny. Many shippers use a small component of Douro-matured wine in their aged tawnies.