If you want to drink a vintage port, the necessary preparation is needed here. It is best to make the preparations one day before consuming a vintage port.

Step 1: Right to put:

If you get a good vintage port from your cellar or wine cabinet, put it right up. Preferably you do this 24 hours before opening the bottle, but shorter is also possible.
As a result, the depot, which develops over the years, drops down into the bottle. If you do not do this, the depot will be present as small pieces and make the port turbid.

Put bottle right on (not outside), preferably 24 hours

Depot in a bottle of port

Step 2: Decant:

A vintage port has usually been in the bottle for a long time and has to get used to the air. That is why you decant a bottle of vintage port. You start by removing the cork.

Step 2a: Remove cork

Cork is a natural product and becomes less and less of a quality over the years. Its sealing properties are retained, only the cork becomes brittle. With an old port it will be difficult to remove it with the corkscrew.
A good alternative is a port tongs, see also this video:

If you do not have Port Tongs and the cork breaks off, that’s no problem. Then press the cork carefully into the bottle. The cork and any cork residues can easily be removed from the port when decanting with a filter.

After the cork is removed, we can start decanting. Here you pour the port from the bottle into a decanter, so that it can “breathe”.
The duration of the decanting depends on the age of the port, keep this global:

– A Vintage younger than 7 years (is actually too young): decede 10-12 hours in advance
– A Vintage from 8 to 15 years old: decant 8-10 hours in advance
– A Vintage from 16-25 years old: decant 6-8 in advance
– A Vintage of 26-35 years old: decanting 4-6 hours in advance
– A Vintage of 36-45 years old: decanting 3-5 hours in advance
– A Vintage of 46-60 years old: decanting 2-3 hours in advance
– A Vintage 60 years and older: decanting 1-3 hours in advance

During this breathing, the port becomes softer and more open. This makes the port better to drink and the port will come out better.

Step 2 b: filter

A port developed over the years depot. You do not want that in your glass and carafe. This can occur in 2 ways.

1. Take an old-fashioned coffee filter and pour the port through it into the decanter. Pour slowly and leave the last bottom with the depot in the bottle.
2. Use 1 of the funnels with filter from our assortment. Here also as a tip; leave the last bottom in the bottle.

It is important, however, that the bottle has stood upright for at least a number of hours, so that the sediment has been able to sink.


Example of a funnel with filter

After the port has been in the decanter for the desired period, it is ready to drink!

View our accessories for decanting here