What to Serve with Port? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Port is a Portuguese fortified wine popular worldwide.

It comes from the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal.

There are different types of Port, including White, Ruby, LBV, Vintage, Tawny and Colheita.

Also called Port wine, it’s a versatile beverage and can pair well with different foods.

However, some foods are better with one type of Port wine while others taste good with another variety of wine.

Today, we’ll list ten dishes that go with Port and mention which type makes the best pairing with a particular food.

So, if you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with Port, stay tuned.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Port?

Port is a delicious wine and you can drink it on its own.

But what fun can it be if you don’t enjoy other foods with it?

The wine will be more flavorsome and pleasant when you add some foods that make perfect pairings.

Besides, it isn’t practical to consume only wine or you can get tipsy fast.

You’ll need some side dishes if you serve Port at any event whether big or small.

Your guests will also expect some dishes with the drink so you have to consider serving extra items.

What to Serve with Port? 10 BEST Side Dishes

You can serve the following with Port when you don’t have ideas.

1 – Nut Platter

Nuts and Port make a perfect match and it’s enjoyable to have them together.

A nut platter will be ideal if you’re looking for a simple but tasty side dish.

Nuts match with LBV, Colheita and Vintage varieties but you can have them with Tawny and Ruby Port too.

Nuts come in various shapes, sizes and flavors so you can serve different types.

Some people prefer toasted while others like raw.

So, you can serve both versions and let your guests choose what they like.

They’re crunchy, filling and nutritious so you can enjoy the taste and absorb the nutrients.

Almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios all taste good, so you can choose from these.

2 – Tiramisu

You must add a sweet dish with Port because they make an ideal pair.

You’ll feel pleased and it will satisfy your craving for something sweet.

Tiramisu is a flavorsome dessert that pairs nicely with Tawny Port.

It’s an Italian dessert with sponge soaked in coffee and Marsala containing mascarpone cheese and cocoa.

Over the years, variants have also come up, but making the original version will be nice.

Making the dessert isn’t tricky, but you must follow the proper steps for the best results.

If you have trouble making the dessert, you can order from where they sell it.

3 – Potato Chips

The difference between potato chips and French fries is the shape and size.

The former is thin and round, while the latter is long but can be thin or slightly thick.

However, both are delicious and popular.

Potato chips or crisps are also a regular feature with Port.

They’re easy to make so it will be nice to add them to your menu.

Potatoes, oil and salt are all you need to make chips.

But while making crisps is easy, you’ll have to use the right potato variety.

Starchy types like Idaho or Russet and Katahdin are best for chips but you can also use all-purpose spuds like Yukon gold.

4 – Smoked Salmon

Seafood also makes a suitable pairing with Port and salmon is one of them.

It’s a delicate fish that cooks fast so you can make a big batch at a time.

However, smoked salmon tastes better with dry white Port so you can serve it with this wine variety.

Salmon is a naturally tasty fish so it isn’t necessary to add a lot of seasonings or other ingredients.

Along with the fish fillets, salt, black pepper and a fresh herb are sufficient to make the fish awesome.

Any salmon type will work for the dish as there are several species.

However, the price differs from one to the other.

For example, King salmon is the most expensive while chum and pink salmon are cheapest.

Sockeye, coho and Atlantic salmon are neither too costly nor too cheap.

5 – Oysters

You must add one more seafood dish to your menu to make it more interesting.

Oysters also make a lovely pairing with Port of the white variety.

You can serve raw or cooked oysters depending on what is suitable for the occasion.

Grilled oysters with cheese and lemon juice and topped with melted garlic butter taste excellent.

Use unsalted butter since you have mozzarella and parmesan cheese which are both salty.

Oysters however smell bad when they decay so you should be careful when buying them if you want to serve raw.

Fresh ones must be full of clear ocean water and have a neutral mineral smell.

6 – Cheese Platter

Cheese is another item that you can pair with Port wine.

The flavor of the cheese contrasts with Port but they taste fantastic together.

Blue and goat cheese are the common varieties served with Port.

However, you can also serve aged gouda, cheddar, parmesan, Romano and gruyere with Port.

You can serve the cheese with any Port wine because all of them taste good with the beverage.

The acidity of the Port balances the rich creamy nature of the cheese so the combo tastes lovely.

7 – Light Chocolate Cake/Chocolate Cake

When serving Port, you must definitely have one more dessert and what can be better than light chocolate cake? It’s one of the tastiest cakes and also a favorite with most people.

It’s also easy to bake chocolate cake because all the ingredients are readily available.

But baking a cake can be intimidating for some individuals.

If you find it difficult to make a cake, you can order with specific instructions.

Light chocolate pairs best with LBV Port but you can try it with other varieties too because everyone has a different preference.

8 – Cherry Desserts

Fruit desserts taste absolutely delicious with Port so it’ll be nice to add one to the list.

While you have many choices of fruits to make a dessert, cherry desserts pair well with Port.

You can make a variety of desserts with cherries so the choice is endless.

The sweet and slightly sour dishes will complement the Port nicely and make you enjoy the combo.

Cherry ice cream, fresh cherry cobbler, cherry pie, cherry bars, cherry dump cake and cherry cupcakes are some desserts you can make.

If a recipe asks for fresh cherries, check carefully when buying.

For example, choose fruits with firm and glossy skin.

9 – Dried Fruits

Dried fruits are also suitable to pair with Tawny, Colheita and Ruby Port but also try them with other Ports.

If you don’t want to make a charcuterie board, serve the dried fruits separately alongside nuts and cheeses.

Dried fruits are also convenient because you can choose various fruits to serve including prunes, raisins, figs, cranberries, apricots, currants and sultanas.

You can also try out other dried fruits such as dates, peaches, apples and pears.

Sometimes you may not have your favorite fruits so if you try out all, you’ll know which ones to buy the next time.

10 – Chocolate/Dark Chocolate

Along with cheese, chocolate or dark chocolate is the best pairing with Port.

Chocolate is everyone’s favorite and it pairs with any Port so you can serve it with any type of Port.

Chocolate or dark chocolate is available everywhere, and you can find many top brands at the stores.

So, you can get your favorite varieties and serve them with Port.

Buy chocolates with square patterns so you can break them into neat pieces since it isn’t practical to serve whole chocolates.

If not, you can buy bite-sized chocolates.

Conclusion

Serving Port shouldn’t be a problem from now on since you have the ten best items to serve with it.

They taste great with the beverage so you can select any 5-6 items whenever you host an event.

But you mustn’t repeat a particular food in two back-to-back events or the dish can get boring even if it’s tasty.

Serve the dish in the following function after keeping a few gaps.

That way, any dish will feel like a new item and everyone will enjoy having it with the Port.

Since different foods taste good with different drinks, see that you make the correct pairings.