There are only a few simple things to enjoy in life. Obliviously
wine is one of them. I feel that wine brings out the best in
people. It relaxes them and it enables the idea of true
conversation to be able to flow. Now port is a great wine for
after dinner. It is seductive and sweet and it just allows you to
be taken away by the thrill of it.
The ultimate thrill, however, is the combination of port and a
fine hand rolled cigar. Smoking a cigar is not really smoking,
but more of sipping on the flavor of it. First, you do not inhale
a cigar, but rather you gather it in your mouth. The flavors you
can taste are hazelnuts, cedar, pepper, nutmeg, and various
others. The problem is the flavor tends to become over-
powering even if it is a mild smoke, so you need something to
cleanse the palate. Now understand that I love red wine but it
does not stand up to port. A port clears the sense of taste like
coffee beans do when smelling perfumes. Why would I do this?
Because it is like tasting two different wedding cakes to see
which one is better, but in reality you are only eating more
cake. Let me explain a little more why I love these two things.
First the cigar is joy to smoke. The taste is exquisite. The smell
of a fine cigar is enthralling. You get a relaxing feeling from
smoking a cigar. The pleasure of blowing smoke is just simple
fun. A cigar gives you a block of time back to your life. It takes
at least forty five minutes to smoke an average cigar. In our
rushed world today it is a rare treat that we can live in the
moment and a cigar gives us that.
Now port is a great red wine. It is smooth and sweet. A good
tawny port is silky and rich. It coats your tongue and slides
down your throat. Since most tawny ports are aged they have a
thickness to the liquid that allows it to just linger on your
tongue. So you really enjoy the full flavor. It is also a little
stronger than wine so you really can’t rush drinking this either.
Are you beginning to see the why these pair so well?
What I love about this pairing is that you can truly enjoy both
luxury items at the same time. A fine Fuentes Hemingway
Double Corona cigar and Galaway Tawny Australian port pair
very well. After a night of enjoying fine wine and great food, I
enjoy a chance to sit back and reflect on life and slowly
partake of these items. Recently I have been sharing this
combination with my Father and experiencing great results. It
has been a great opportunity to really talk to my Father and
connect on a personal level. This idea is all about taking the
time to really enjoy life, so that’s what I do…truly enjoy it.
