Wine of the Week

Neilsen tells us sales of port-style wines and Porto are on the decline.  I don't get it. Port producers -- the real ones, from Portugal -- do a great job making high-quality wine that delivers on the price. Plus, port is a flavorful, sweet, higher alcohol drink that warms you up, gives you buzz, and helps you digest big meals.

A port brand I'm growing to like is Smith Woodhouse, which is making a name for itself by making more elegant, balanced, and refined ports, rather than swaggering fruit and sugar bombs. The other big names – Cockburn, Dow's, Graham's – do a great job but are often indistinguishable.  Smith Woodhouse stands out.

Smith Woodhouse 10-year Porto has raisiny smells with taste of dried fruit, Rainette and a toffee finish. This port is so nicely balanced, you don't even feel the heat from the 18 to 20 percent alcohol. $30.