Port is a sweet, fortified wine from the Douro region of Portugal. It is traditionally drunk with cheese or after a meal but, if you're feeling hollow-legged, it can be a delicious aperitif when served chilled.

There are two styles of making port. Bottle-aged port is just that: it spends little time in a cask. Cask-aged ports mature in wooden barrels until they are ready to drink, a famous example of this is Tawny port. It is wine to be laid down, as a cask-aged port that spends two years in a barrel will last 20-40 years in a bottle. It is best to drink vintage port.

For advice on how to drink port visit Everyday Etiquette: Port

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