Port steps up to share main menu

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Lounging around the fireplace with a coveted stash of artisan chocolates in one hand and a glass of

port in the other is one of fall's most decadent pleasures.

Sipping port doesn't have to be a late-night cheese-and-chocolate-only affair. Port pairs well with a wide range of sweet — and savory — foods, making it the perfect honored guest at multicourse tasting dinners.

"Sure, port is great with cheese and chocolate, but it doesn't have to be a dessert wine. Once you let yourself taste it with savory foods, a whole new world will open up," says Peter Prager, winemaker at Prager Port Works in St. Helena, Calif.

Before opening that vintage ruby stashed in the back of the wine closet, get to know the different varieties of port.

True port, often labeled "porto" in the United States, is from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Many of the port-style fortified wines made throughout the world, labeled simply "port," are less expensive than their Portuguese counterparts. Keep an eye out for port from good American, Australian or South African winemakers to keep your dinner party costs down.

Ports age gracefully — good news for those unopened bottles, bad news in terms of price. Even the youngest ports (ruby) require several years of aging to develop their characteristic sweet, jammy flavor.

The price of port varies greatly depending on the type of aging (bottle versus barrel), length of time aged (between 2 and as long as 100 years) and whether the grapes are from a single vineyard. Fortunately, with its high alcohol content (port is fortified with alcohol to develop sweetness) and rich flavor, small pours are preferable.

You can count on eight generous 3-ounce servings of port from a 750 ml bottle (compared to five skimpy 5-ounce glasses of wine), so you can afford to spend a little more on each bottle.

Start the evening with a glass of white port. They're typically crisp and fruity, lighter than classic ruby ports, so they work beautifully as a first-course wine. Balance the fruitiness with rich, buttery dishes such as pan-seared scallops, mushroom bisque, ravioli with cream sauce or ricotta gnocchi with truffled corn puree, a favorite of executive chef Sean Hardy of the Peninsula Beverly Hills' Belvedere restaurant.