Philly Wine Finder

Offley Ruby Porto NV

This is good if: you take a small sip and shove some berries in your mouth immediately; you love cherry cough syrup; you want to get something with 20% alcohol in your body and you don't care how; you don't have to go to work in the morning. Could also pair well with friends who like to have fun and aren't snobs.

Sweet and fruity and goes ok with berries. It's inexpensive. It has alcohol in it.

Rating: 2+ or 79

Offley Ruby Porto NV
Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32467
Size: 750ML
Price: $7.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:  (Avg $11, Min $10, Max $11)
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

Region:    Portugal > Douro
Grape Varieties:     Touriga Franca
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Amarela
Tinto Cão
Alcohol Content:    19.5%

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Phillies vs. Riversharks? When A Wine Is Out Of Its League

Recently we had the opportunity to compare two different port wines side-by-side; one purchased in Portugal  and brought back to the U.S. in a suitcase (Quinta du Castelinho Reserva), and the other purchased at the PLCB's clearance sale  (Dow's Late Bottled Vintage).   Which do you think was better? 

It was no contest, but it wasn't really a fair fight.  These wines are in two totally different leagues, like the Phillies and the Riversharks.  As someone at the table put it, the Castelinho tastes like port, the Dow's tastes like red wine trying to be port. 

For that night, we put the Dow's aside and enjoyed the Castelinho with nuts and cheese, a good match for its amber color, fragrant nose, and rich taste.  But as we have learned, sometimes a wine just needs the right context to reveal its gifts.  A few nights later we brought the Dow's back out, this time with the Barefoot Contessa's Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake.  Big difference!  Now the more ruby-style of the Dow's came into its own and paired beautifully with the chocolate cake.

Two wines, two different leagues, but we're grateful we could enjoy them both on their own terms.