How do you drink vintage port? Do you just grab a glass and drink it as it comes out of the bottle, or do you want to know how to drink port? Do you know how long does port last once opened? How about pouring port? Do you know how long will a quart of port last once opened? All good questions, which we will answer below.
> How long will port last once opened? This depends on the producer and the age of the port at the time. More recent ports will likely have a shelf life of two to three days. Vintage Ports will likely last up to ten days once opened.
> How about pouring port? The general consensus is that if the cork breaks while you are attempting to open the bottle, you are most probably not doing it right. The cork should be lifted slowly and steadily, starting with the top of the neck of the bottle, moving to the corked portion of the bottle, then stopping short of the lip of the bottle, and finally the cork should fall without moving again.
If the cork does not fall, and instead breaks into many smaller pieces, and you can see the cork in the middle of the bottle, you may want to pour port slowly and steadily from one side of the bottle to the other, until you can see the cork in the bottle neck, and then slowly pour port from the other side of the bottle to the neck, until you can see the sediment beginning to come into the bottle neck and stop pouring.
How do you drink vintage port? Do you just grab a glass and drink it as it comes out of the bottle, or do you know how to drink port wine? Do you know how long does port last once opened? All good questions, which we will answer below.
> How long does port last once opened?
In a non-vintage port, once opened, it is sealed for a minimum of two years. This means that if you take the bottle from the cellar to enjoy it in the glass, you need to let it stand for two years before you can pour the wine.
In a vintage port, the cork is pulled gently from the bottle, and the bottle is left to stand. The cork is pulled slowly, so you don’t wind up with a sediment similar to that of dry ice, and the side of the bottle which is not being held should be the one to hold the wine in the neck of the bottle.
The sediment in Port is actually quite bitter, and will set your teeth on edge at first, but once you get used to it, it will become one of your favourite things to drink. On the other hand, if you are not familiar with Port and would like to take the dive, then you should look for the older vintages to get your fix.
> How long does Port last once decanted?
Once decanted, Port is supposed to remain cool until 2 years after the vintage. However, it is possible that the cork may have been removed prior to 2 years, and the cork may have crumbled into the wine. In that case, you should decant as soon as you can, and if it is still clear, discard what is left in the bottle.
