Ruby Port

How is Ruby Port made?

Ruby Port starts its life like any other wine, with grapes fermented in large tanks or traditional stone lagares where workers still stomp the fruit by foot. The magic happens when distillers add grape brandy (aguardente) partway through fermentation, which stops the process and leaves behind natural residual sugar while boosting the alcohol content to around 20%. The young wine then ages in large wooden vats or concrete tanks for two to three years, maintaining its vibrant ruby color and fresh, fruity character before being blended and bottled.

How do you drink Ruby Port?

Ruby Port shines brightest when served neat at cellar temperature (around 60-65°F) in a proper port glass, allowing its rich fruit flavors and warming alcohol to unfold naturally on your palate. While purists prefer it straight, Ruby Port makes an excellent base for winter cocktails like mulled wine variations, port and tonic serves, or classic combinations with aged spirits in Manhattan-style drinks. The sweet, fortified wine's robust character makes it perfect for cool weather sipping—think fireside evenings, holiday gatherings, or as a digestif after hearty autumn and winter meals when you want something that feels both festive and comforting.

How do I choose good Ruby Port?

When selecting a Ruby Port, look for producers like Graham's, Cockburn's, or Fonseca, and check that the bottle shows a recent bottling date since Ruby Port doesn't improve with age once bottled. For sipping neat, go with a premium Ruby or Late Bottled Vintage for more complexity, but if you're mixing cocktails like a Port and Tonic or using it in cooking, a standard Ruby Port offers great value and the right fruit-forward punch without breaking the bank. The key is matching the intensity—richer, more expensive bottles shine on their own, while simpler expressions work beautifully when other ingredients share the spotlight.

Nutritional Information

Typical Calorie Range per Ounce: 40-50 calories

Typical Carbohydrate Range per Ounce: 4-6 grams

Typical Sugar Range per Ounce: 4-6 grams

Typically Gluten Free: Yes

Ruby Port is made from grapes and follows traditional winemaking processes, making it naturally gluten-free. The higher calorie and sugar content comes from the fortification process, where grape spirits are added during fermentation to stop the process early, preserving natural grape sugars. This creates Port's characteristic sweetness and higher alcohol content compared to regular wines.

Note: While Port is typically gluten-free, always check the specific product label and manufacturer information to confirm gluten-free status, especially if you have celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity.

Scrolled this far? Your reward? Ruby Port Trivia!

1. Ruby Port gets its deep crimson color from a sneaky winemaking trick called "pumping over" – winemakers literally pump the fermenting juice over the grape skins up to four times per day, extracting maximum color and tannins. This aggressive extraction process would destroy most wines, but Port's high alcohol content from fortification actually preserves all that intense pigment.
2. The famous Port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia aren't just for show – they're positioned on the south bank of the Douro River specifically because the cooler, more humid conditions there slow down the aging process. Ruby Port ages much faster in the hot Douro Valley where it's made, so producers ship it across the river to essentially put it in "slow motion" aging mode.
3. Ruby Port contains more antioxidants than red wine, dark chocolate, or green tea. The fortification process that stops fermentation actually preserves more of the grape's original antioxidant compounds, particularly anthocyanins and resveratrol. Some Ruby Ports contain up to ten times the antioxidant levels found in regular red wines.
4. Traditional Ruby Port is never filtered, which means every bottle contains microscopic grape particles that continue to evolve the flavor profile years after bottling. Those tiny sediments act like flavor time capsules, slowly releasing compounds that can make a five-year-old Ruby Port taste completely different from when you first opened it.
5. Ruby Port was accidentally invented in 1678 when British merchants added brandy to Portuguese wine barrels to prevent spoilage during shipping. The alcohol stopped fermentation mid-process, leaving residual sugar and creating the sweet, fortified wine we know today. What started as a preservation hack became one of the world's most beloved dessert wines.