As we travel to wineries we discover many new and interesting ideas. We have tasted many Ports while in Texas. However at Texas Legato Winery in Lampasas, Texas, we were introduced to Port Sippers. Do they make a difference?

I enjoy drinking wine from fine stemware. Is it better to drink wine from better stemware such as Riedel or is good stemware just hype? I have to confess that even water taste better when in good stemware and glassware. So I was interested in the taste of Port from a Port sipper.

Port sippers date back to the 17^th century. The theory is that as you suck the Port from the bottom of the glass through the straw-like arm, you lessen the amount of Port that can be oxidized. Since you can hold the Port sipper in the palm of your hand, you can also warm the Port slightly. In comparing the Texas Legato Port from a conventional wine glass and from a Port sipper there was a difference. The taste from the Port sipper was fruiter and lighter bodied.

If you are not a Port drinker what can you do with a Port sipper? Bill Bledsoe, owner and winemaker at Texas Legato demonstrated how to use the Port sipper to make turkey sounds. He suggested that it might work when you go hunting for turkeys. If not, fill with Port and sip. You may not be upset that you didn’t catch a turkey.