Graham’s Port Bicentenary
I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Graham’s Port 200 Years Celebration. The Symington Family, owner operators of the famous port house that we know as Graham’s, launched a series of Instagram Live chats with top Sommeliers the world over. I had my 30minutes of fame in a conversation with Vicky Symington, one of the newer generation of the Symington Family, and also their Manager of Brand Marketing.
Instagram Link to the recorded conversation below
Christopher Sealy Graham’s 200 Years
Wednesday 13th of May, we debuted, talked, and tasted through a few of their new port wines to an IG Live audience. I had a tremendous amount of fun in this laid back approach to talking and tasting wine.
We introduced a wine which was initially exported to the UK market last year. This was the Graham’s Blend No.5 White Port (meio-seco). This wine is quite exuberant with orange, peach, apricot and muscat notes. The concept behind this product is a port wine blended with freshness in mind to be used for the popular Porto Tonico. Porto Tonico, a cocktail that combines White Port with Tonic. This cocktail has become a massive sensation in Portugal over the last few years and one might consider this cocktail as the equivalent to the Italian - Aperol Spritz. I had mine, actually two in the IG demonstration, one with a cucumber soda and the other with a blood orange soda. A leaf of lemon balm and some mint picked from the garden garnished both of them and we were off to a nice chat about port, my story in wine and the love I foster for Wines of Portugal.
We then introduced the first ever Canadian appearance of their Natura Reserve Port, sourced from organic estate grown grapes. As far as ports go, some can be quite intense in that rich ‘port’, chocolate, ripe fruit flavour that some appreciate or dislike. On the other spectrum some Port wine can be thin and show only the intensity of the brandy that fortifies the wine. I would say that this was a wholesome and balanced port verging on the side of lighter rich, with ripe raspberry tones, a touch of pink peppercorn spice and playing nicely on the palate - for a younger styled port. I can certainly see this wine performing well paired with any version of chocolate with candied raspberry or strawberry.
I was also given a cute bottle of their 1990 Single Harvest Tawny Port - Lodge Edition. Delicious and so precious…in a good way. It will be a great addition to the 1972 Single Harvest Tawny Port I received as I was voted #1 Sommelier from Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants (Magazine) of 2019.
