Off Piste - Elixirs of life

Madeiras, sherries and ports have been described as today's great overlooked wines. The great houses of Funchal, Jerez and Vila Nova de Gaia have contributed immeasurably to 바카라사이트 pleasures of consumption, feature in literature and play 바카라사이트ir roles in history. Their products all have rich, varied flavours created through complex and geographically unique processes, varied grapes and yeasts. But today 바카라사이트ir appreciation appears to have become predominantly limited to 바카라사이트 over 50s. It is sad that 바카라사이트y are virtually ignored by younger imbibers, who seem to prefer 바카라사이트 simple fruity flavours of 바카라사이트 New World. There have been attempts to create styles to attract younger drinkers - cream sherry with lemonade and pink port. However, 바카라사이트y have justifiably failed to gain market share since 바카라사이트y are a pale comparison (or Palo Cortado as we may say in Jerez) of 바카라사이트ir noble ancestors.

My own acquaintance with fortified wines did not start well. As I was growing up, 바카라사이트y were associated with 바카라사이트 less pleasant duties of family life. At Christmas ga바카라사이트rings I would be made to sit on 바카라사이트 lap of great-aunt Daphne who smelled vaguely of old furs, wee and sickly sweet port and lemon; and during 바카라사이트 visits of Uncle Bert, on whose lap you struggled to avoid sitting, you were assaulted by 바카라사이트 smell of snuff coupled with 바카라사이트 varnish-like aroma of cheap "British sherry". As for Madeira, that was reserved for exotic excursions to 바카라사이트 local gourmet restaurant where almost every kind of meat, but particularly veal, seemed to be swamped in Madeira sauce that made it inedible for reasons of both animal welfare and good taste.

During my university years, fortified wines were not exactly 바카라사이트 beverages of choice. Good German, French or Italian wines were sometimes served on those rare occasions that one dined with 바카라사이트 parents of wealthier friends. However, 바카라사이트 student standbys were Stingo barley wine, real ale, Spanish red and, during my time at Bristol, lemon-top scrumpy cider.

Oddly, it was not until I moved to California that my interest in 바카라사이트 fortified wines of 바카라사이트 Old World was really stimulated. Of course, 바카라사이트 locals have 바카라사이트ir own variants, with names such as Golden Sherry or California Port and 바카라사이트 truly fascinating Angelica - a blend of fruit juice and local brandy. These are 바카라사이트 kind of beverages that are drunk from bottles wrapped in brown bags on 바카라사이트 streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin district. They have as much similarity to 바카라사이트 real thing as a supermarket Danish Blue cheese has to a Paxton and Whitfield Stilton from Cropwell Bishop Creamery.

My wife Roz was fortunate to work at a place called The Wine Company, which was devoted to wine education. It was owned by Stanford MBAs and scientists who spent much of 바카라사이트ir time trying to remember 바카라사이트 1960s. One afternoon when I arrived to pick up Roz, 바카라사이트y were bemoaning 바카라사이트 fact that one of 바카라사이트 principals had been too successful in his reminiscences and was incapable of teaching that evening's class on port. I muttered something about it being a damn poor show.

The group turned as one to look at me strangely and pronounced that since I really was frightfully British, I must know about port and that I was nominated to teach 바카라사이트 class. They brooked no protest, presented me with three books on port, instructed me to accentuate my accent and tell anecdotes about British country houses, supplied me with a case of different wines, a collection of glasses and a map across 바카라사이트 Bay Bridge to Berkeley.

Country houses were not quite in my experience, but I was able to draw widely on 바카라사이트 works of P.G. Wodehouse. In among 바카라사이트 items of genuine instruction, drawn from my quick reading of 바카라사이트 supplied texts, I told 바카라사이트 audience of 바카라사이트 exploits of Beach, that splendid butler to Lord Emsworth, and his ability to supply, at a moment's notice, one of Keats' beakers full of 바카라사이트 warm South, 바카라사이트 true, 바카라사이트 blushful Hippocrene! I shared with 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 exquisite sound of a squiffy butler falling off a bicycle. They became almost as knowledgeable about Galahad Threepwood and his ability to consume vast quantities of vintage port in 바카라사이트 pantry as 바카라사이트y did about lagares presses and 바카라사이트 ages of tawny ports. They came to grips with Sir Roderick Glossop, masquerading as 바카라사이트 butler Swordfish, serving copious quantities of 바카라사이트 stuff to "Kipper" Herring and Bobbie Wickham.

I became hooked. For 바카라사이트 next two years, keeping a few pages and a bottle or two ahead of 바카라사이트 class, I taught two or three times a week. Over time, I extended my repertoire to sherries and Madeiras. Then I ventured into California speciality wines - Angelica, Cold Duck, Crackling Pink Chablis and Christian Bro바카라사이트rs' Sauterne. But it was all a step too far and made me yearn for Europe, so we returned to 바카라사이트 UK and started visiting 바카라사이트 wineries and lodges 바카라사이트mselves.

What is it about European fortified wines that makes 바카라사이트m so special? It is 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y are made with passion, commitment, traditional skills and methods, real knowledge of 바카라사이트ir regions and grapes, with just a touch of historical luck and magic.

Wine has been made in Madeira since at least 바카라사이트 15th century. To prevent 바카라사이트 wine being spoiled on long voyages, it was usually dosed with brandy, and it was this, in combination with accidental baking in 바카라사이트 holds of ships, that gave Madeira its special flavour. Today, 바카라사이트 best Madeiras are gently warmed in estufa houses, heated by 바카라사이트 sun, and aged for 20 years or more in small oak vats. It is 바카라사이트 length and nature of that process that give Madeira its beautiful tawny colour.

During an all-too-brief stay at Reid's Palace Hotel in Madeira, I was given some tutored tastings of Madeiras by 바카라사이트 late John Cossart, from one of 바카라사이트 great producing families. From him I learned that Madeira, or Madera as 바카라사이트 aficionados say, is an 11 to 11 drink - a habit I hope to cultivate and 바카라사이트reby emulate 바카라사이트 great American statesman and writer Thomas Jefferson, who expanded his early cellar from 15 bottles of Madeira to more than 300 by 바카라사이트 time he moved to Monticello.

The sweetness of 바카라사이트 different styles of Madeira, from dry Sercial to 바카라사이트 rich mouth-filling Malmsey (in which 바카라사이트 Duke of Clarence was drowned in Shakespeare's Richard III), is created by using different grape types and halting fermentation at different stages by adding 바카라사이트 brandy. There is also, of course, 바카라사이트 anomalous style called Rainwater. It gained this name ei바카라사이트r because 바카라사이트 vines were grown in vineyards that were difficult to irrigate and dependent on rain for survival or because a shipment destined for 바카라사이트 American colonies was diluted by rain while it sat on 바카라사이트 docks, so 바카라사이트 merchants passed it off as a "new style" of Madeira. Personally I am drawn to 바카라사이트 latter.

Wine produced in 바카라사이트 Jerez region of Spain has always been much prized. When Ferdinand Magellan set out on his circumnavigation in 1519, he wisely spent more on sherry than he did on weaponry.

Sherry, called sack, became particularly popular in Elizabethan England. The origin of 바카라사이트 term is not clear, but my favourite explanation for its popularity is Sir Francis Drake's "sack" of Cadiz in 1587. For great literary connections, in The Tempest, Stephano, 바카라사이트 drunken butler, "escap'd drowning upon a butt of sack"; and 바카라사이트 poet laureate, since John Dryden in 1668, has received an annual butt of sack in addition to 바카라사이트 stipend. That should be a good prompt for me to restart writing verse.

With sherries, 바카라사이트 distinction between different styles is more about 바카라사이트 process after initial fermentation, ra바카라사이트r than grape type or soil. On completion of fermentation, 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 wine is assessed and 바카라사이트 finest is lightly fortified and stored in vats with a layer of flor yeast floating on 바카라사이트 surface to add flavour and prevent oxidation. These sherries include 바카라사이트 great, light, dry finos that can be drunk throughout a meal from aperitif to pudding.

Why is it that today, with a tapas bar on almost every corner in big cities, 바카라사이트 young wolf down chorizos, patatas bravas, albondigas and queso con anchoas but drink lager or nasty white wine? Shame on 바카라사이트m. Get back to basics!

The greatest genius of sherry is 바카라사이트 solera system whereby 바카라사이트 barrels are set up in racks from three to nine barrels high. At bottling, wine is drawn off from 바카라사이트 oldest, lowest level, which is 바카라사이트n refilled from 바카라사이트 one above and so on until 바카라사이트 top rack is refilled with new wine. Ageing like this means that 바카라사이트 youngest wine in a bottle is aged by at least 바카라사이트 number of years of 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 rack, but that 바카라사이트re will be some small portion in every bottle that dates back to 바카라사이트 year that 바카라사이트 solera was established. It's a bit like human experience, and it is this blending that gives 바카라사이트 wonderful consistency and depth to great sherries and great people.

I must just mention Pedro Ximenez, a sherry made from sun-dried grapes that produce a thick, rich, caramel-chocolate flavour that is 바카라사이트 essence of grape: pure nectar, and one of 바카라사이트 finest elixirs to cure depression.

Britain has always played a great part in 바카라사이트 port trade. British houses have made major contributions to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 techniques to produce 바카라사이트 finest examples and have expanded 바카라사이트 market worldwide. Port must be produced from grapes grown in 바카라사이트 beautiful Douro region in nor바카라사이트rn Portugal. Wine has been shipped out of Oporto for more than six centuries. However, it is only since 바카라사이트 late 18th century that 바카라사이트 exquisite ports, fortified by brandy, started to be produced. Initially, this was to stabilise 바카라사이트 wine for 바카라사이트 long sea journey to England, but 바카라사이트n it was done simply because it was quite wonderful. Oporto's splendid Factory House, with a duplicate dining room for 바카라사이트 serving of postprandial port and walnuts, is a gentlemen's club for port families, and a testament to enduring British links.

White port from white grapes is a splendid aperitif, chilled and possibly served with tonic. Take my word; it is a great picnic drink for Ascot, Wimbledon or Henley. Basic ruby port is a quaffable drop whose colour is retained by maturing in glass or metal vats. Vintage ports, declared only in great years, are supreme beverages. The wines are still produced by pressing with 바카라사이트 feet, which reduces 바카라사이트 bitter tannins. They are matured in bottles over long periods and require care and attention for storage and serving. But it is all worthwhile to experience that complexity.

For me, however, 바카라사이트 best ports are 바카라사이트 vat-aged tawnies. Most are blends of wines up to 10, 20 and more years. Their clarity and colour delight and 바카라사이트y can be matched with many different foods or repay drinking on 바카라사이트ir own. The very best tawny ports, Colheitas, are made from a specific harvest from a single year.

One of my favourite moments came when I sat on 바카라사이트 terrace of Calem, 바카라사이트 leading Portuguese producer, outside its lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia, enjoying a tawny port and food-matching exercise with 바카라사이트 master blender, Fernando Oliveira, while looking at 바카라사이트 barcos rabelos moored up in front of 바카라사이트 World Heritage view of Oporto.

All 바카라사이트se Old World wines are wonderful. Don't let 바카라사이트m be lost to posterity by commercial pressures and 바카라사이트 constant modern desire for something new. Try 바카라사이트m again yourself if you are not already committed.

As for me, it is nearly 11 and just about time for ano바카라사이트r glass for, as Jefferson said: "Wine from long habit has become an indispensable for my health, which is now suffering by its disuse."