Port: It's Not Just For Dessert
NAPA’S PRAGER WINERY & PORT WORKS ENCOURAGES PAIRING OFF THE BEATEN PATH
STEPPING INTO Prager Winery & Port Works, tucked behind Sutter Home on the western side of Napa’s Highway 29, you are immediately greeted by history. Lovers of fine port—sweet, fortified wine—Jim and Imogene Prager established the winery in 1979; it is now run by their grown children. The small tasting room is decorated with paper currency stapled to the walls by visitors from over the decades, a neon sign and a poster for a Cabernet Sauvignon that they have long since stopped producing.
What is special about the place is an equal balance of amiable, down-to-earth people—the Pragers themselves—and the unparalleled port-style wines that they produce. While many wineries also produce a fortified wine in their portfolio, Prager is one of the very few who make it their focus, and it’s clearly their passion.
Part of their mission is helping visitors and club members see beyond the traditional pairing of port and chocolate. “It’s not just a dessert wine, you know,” Peter Prager once told me. I didn’t know. But since that time I’ve been fixated on pairing port wine with foods other than sweets—often with spectacular results.
The holidays are a great time to “fortify” meals with the festive addition of port. Using Prager Winery & Port Works’ line of delicious ports as my guide, here are a handful of particularly delicious pairings I’ve discovered in my explorations. Start with these suggestions and let your imagination lead you to new discoveries.
ARIA APERITIF
Get the party started with a refreshing, light port cocktail. Mix one ounce of Prager’s Aria white port with an equal amount of your favorite gin—I’d suggest Napa Valley Distillery’s Summer Sequel Ginn. Splash it with lime, a dash of bitters if you like, stir and top up the rocks glass with tonic water. Garnish with mint leaves and a lemon twist.
NOBLE COMPANION WITH A CHEESE, CHARCUTERIE, FRUIT AND NUT BOARD
Noble Companion is an amber-colored wine that spends 10 years in the barrel. A blend of vintages, its notes of toffee, caramel and orange spice comingle upon the palate. The complexity makes this port fun to talk about; the smoothness makes it fun to drink.
ARIA WITH LOBSTER BISQUE
It was this pairing that first opened my eyes to how incredibly well fortified wines pair with a diverse array of cuisines. Aria is deceptively smooth at 19.5% ABV, with well-balanced sweetness and complexity.
ROYAL ESCORT WITH GRILLED GRASS-FED STEAK
Royal Escort is a tawny-style port, produced from grapes from the Paladini Vineyard in St. Helena, from which the Prager family has sourced for the past 40 years. Royal Escort is barrel-aged for two-and-a-half years, which lends it a rich, full-bodied character with notes of cherry and cedar a perfect pairing with robustly-flavored grilled meats.
PRAGER PORT WITH RUSTIC PORT PLUM TART
Just because you don’t have to pair port with dessert doesn’t mean you can’t. This classic port wine style delivers true Napa terroir, blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Tinta Roriz varietals. After two years in barrel, notes of plum, vanilla and cherry abound, natural complements to fruit-focused desserts.
You’ll find Mary Prager Lenney’s recipe for a delicious and deceptively easy-to-make plum tart on Prager Winery & Port Works’ website, and I highly recommend it.
The next time you drive up Highway 29, slow down as you near St. Helena and enjoy a delicious detour along a road less traveled. Just around the corner from Sutter Home you’ll find this world-class producer of fortified wines and a world of new taste experiences.
