Four bottles on the table. Two with wax seals, two without. Carla Maria Dias Tiago appears on screen from Kopke’s tasting room in Porto, bottles lining every surface behind her.
“This is not a virtual background,” she laughs when I ask.
For Sparks episode 28 I spent 56 minutes with Carla, one of the winemakers behind Kopke, the world’s oldest Port house. What came out of it changed how I think about Port. Three anchors: temperature, white Port, and the economics behind Colheitas.
Recorded in English. Dutch and English subtitles available on YouTube.
Who is Carla Maria
Carla is one of the winemakers behind Kopke, founded in 1638. The world’s oldest Port house. That is not marketing copy: Kopke maintains Colheitas (single-vintage Ports) from 1934 onwards, and those wines are still ageing in barrel.
Her first harvest was in 2005. Since then she has worked with wines made by winemakers long dead, while producing bottles for winemakers not yet born.
“Our job is making sure we are taking good care of all these old wines in our cellars and producing new ones for the next generation.”
Temperature is the most important tip
“I always recommend chilling them,” Carla says firmly. Every Port. Including Tawny. Even some Rubies.
The maths is simple. Port sits at 20% alcohol and roughly 100 grams of sugar per litre. At room temperature that is overwhelming. Between 12 and 16°C, depending on style, the glass tips over. Fresher. More elegant. The sweetness recedes, fruit and acidity step forward.
One tip that should change how half the country pours Port.
White Port is a serious category
White Port as spritzer base is a missed opportunity. Carla pours a White Colheita 2014 next to a 10-Year-Old White Port and the gap is wider than expected.
Orange blossom. Tropical fruit. Cookie dough. Dried peach. Layering you would expect from aged sherry, with an acidity that holds the whole thing tight.
This is also where the category structure clicks. Colheita = single vintage, evolving in barrel for years. 10/20/30/40 Year Old = blend, consistent style year after year. Two different promises to the drinker.
Why most houses do not make Colheitas
Holding wine in barrel for decades without selling it requires capital most houses do not have. A Colheita from 1934 sits on the balance sheet for 91 years before it reaches the market.
“It is like a huge project. You always have to think about the next decades,” Carla explains.
That is the quiet difference between Kopke and the rest of Porto. Not just style. The willingness to plan half a century ahead.
Four wines tasted
1. Kopke White Colheita 2014
Single-vintage white Port, barrel-aged. Orange blossom, dried peach, cookie dough. Lively acidity under the sweetness. Serve at 10–12°C, not from the deep freezer.
2. Kopke 10-Year-Old White
Blend with an average ten-year age. Rounder, with nuts, dried fig, honey. A solid entry for anyone taking white Port seriously for the first time.
3. Kopke Tawny Colheita
Single-vintage Tawny. Caramel, walnut, dried apricot. A freshness you do not expect in this category. Proof that older Tawny does not have to feel heavier.
4. Kopke Ruby-style with wax seal
Younger profile, red fruit, spice. The wax seal allows different bottle ageing. Lightly chilled works best.
Frequently asked questions
At what temperature should you drink Port? Between 12 and 16°C depending on style. Tawny and white Port slightly cooler, Ruby and Vintage slightly less so. Room temperature is almost always too warm for Port.
What is the difference between Colheita and aged blend? Colheita is single-vintage and ages in barrel until bottling. A 10/20/30/40 Year Old is a blend with that average age. Colheita evolves vintage by vintage, blends aim for consistency.
How long does an open bottle of Port last? Tawny and white Port: a few months, refrigerated. Vintage Ports drink faster, days to a week. Far longer than table wine thanks to the higher alcohol.
Which glass should you use for Port? Not a small traditional Port glass. A standard white wine glass works better, you get more aroma and the pour stays modest on its own.
The bottles
Kopke White Colheita 2014 — single-vintage white Port, serve chilled. Kopke 10-Year-Old White — blend, rounder, more accessible. Kopke Tawny Colheita — single-vintage Tawny with notable freshness. Kopke Ruby with wax seal — younger profile, red fruit, light spice.
Kopke is available through specialist wine retailers and better off-licences. For the Colheitas, look up specific vintages rather than category alone.
Full transcript
The episode was recorded in English. A full searchable transcript is on this page for accessibility and SEO. Dutch readers can find the show notes on the Dutch version of this article.
More about Kopke
Visit kopke1638.com for the full range, Colheita vintages, and visitor information in Vila Nova de Gaia.
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