Spring is here and, as the garden blooms, readers might find themselves reaching for the Pink Diesel to enjoy in the sunshine. But I have another idea: white port and tonic will make you thank God for inventing Portugal and being so good as to align it with England.
The great promulgators of white port in Portugal nowadays can be found in the Symington Family Estates. In 1882, 19-year-old Andrew James Symington boarded a boat from Glasgow and headed for opportunities beyond the Clyde. On arrival in Portugal, he worked for Graham’s Port, before breaking out to do his own thing. Symington soon became one of the defining names in Portuguese wine production.
A.J., as he’s known in the family, had such success that his descendants were able to acquire Graham’s in 1970. Today, Symington Family Estates own four major port brands – Graham’s, Warre’s, Dow’s and Cockburn’s – and a smattering of smaller ones. They’re among the largest vineyard owners in the Douro Valley, and one of the last remaining British-descended families involved in producing port. Five generations on, Symingtons are still in the driving seat of the company.
Of course, people have been enjoying white port – mostly straight and usually on the rocks – for a long time. But it was only in 2019 that Graham’s launched the first ever white port blended specifically for mixing, either with tonic or as part of another cocktail. Charles Symington, the head winemaker, was challenged to produce a drink that would attract new people to appreciate the old wine, something that might be able to take on the tyranny of the spritz.
It’s more exotic than G&T and served with lemon and mint brings a deep sense of refreshment
The result was Graham’s Blend No.5. Light, crisp and aromatic, it’s comprised of two main grape varieties: Malvasia Fina, bringing freshness and acidity; and Moscatel Galego, rarely used in white port production, adding fruity notes. All the grapes are hand-picked at a higher than usual altitude in the valley. Unlike sherry, which is fortified after fermentation, the fortification here happens during the cold fermentation process. The payoff is a fruitier rather than nutty drink, perfect for mixing with tonic. It’s more exotic than G&T and served with lemon and mint brings a deep sense of refreshment. The marketers would probably say at 19 per cent ABV it’s a lighter choice than gin or vodka, but I’d argue it allows you to have double the amount before asking the Cardinal Archbishop of Lima to dance.
For those seeking a slightly more traditional spring port, I’d suggest Graham’s 20-year-old Tawny: a carefully crafted blend of wines aged in oak. Through this ageing in wood, it provides notes of dried fruit, nuts and subtle spice, and the mix of older and newer wines makes for a pleasing complexity. Serve straight from the fridge on a warm day.
Here we find another nod to the innovation Graham’s has led in recent years. It transformed the aged tawny market in the early 2000s by moving its range into clear glass bottles, designed to showcase colour. The rest of the industry has followed suit, so we can better assess the contents before choosing which port to enjoy in the garden.
Yes, the angels may be whispering in your ear to go pink, but these options allow you to support a fabulous Anglo-Portuguese family still producing excellence alongside innovation. If, as Tolstoy wrote, spring is the time of plans and projects, then let us come together and also make it a time for port.
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