Port wine proves popular with many wine drinkers

By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press

It seems the only thing California's Madera County wine country lacks are limos, tour buses and a crush of tasting room visitors.

But amid the quiet and the grapevines north of Fresno is a center of serious winemaking and dessert-focused wines.

The Madera area is home to Ficklin Vineyards, a winery synonymous with fortified Port wine since 1945.

The University of California-Davis started testing the grape varieties used in the production of Portugal's premium red dessert wines during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1944, the Ficklins grafted test cuttings onto their established root stock. The experiment was so successful, they decided the winery would produce only Port.

"We are the oldest Port winery in California," said tasting room host Stephanie Farina. "The granddaddy and flagship of the winery is our Tinta, which is a blend of four Portuguese varietals which come from the original 1940 vines."

The winery does not usually vintage their Port, instead using the "solera" process to produce a blend that is consistent in character year after year. Mirroring the Portuguese method, some of the prior year's crush is held back each year. There is some of the first year's wine in each bottle of Tinta Port sold.

The Ficklins produce just under 10,000 cases of Tinta Port each year.

Winery owner Peter Ficklin said the European Union has limited the use of geographically significant names on the use of wine bottles. Since 2006, the EU will no longer accept any wine label with the word "Port" on it.

"Fortunately many of our labels are grandfathered in, and we are allowed to continue to use them as is," he said. "Many wineries wishing to add a Port to their line-up have to use fanciful names now, instead of the Port terminology."

Port is a big seller here despite wineries not being able to officially call it "Port" because it is not from Portugal's Douro River Valley. Quady Winery's 88 Starboard uses the same grape varieties -- primarily Tinta Roriz from Madera. The winery uses 190 proof neutral wine spirits instead of the traditional 140 proof fortifying brandy. Starboard matures earlier and has a ripe, fuller flavor with a chocolate, raisin character. This richness is a result of the warm climate.

"We began selling our sweet wines mostly to wine buffs," said Andrew Quady, co-owner of Quady Winery. "Today, wine drinkers are more adventurous and we are filling that niche. Our business is to provide high quality dessert wines at affordable prices."

"In the 1980s, saying that wine was sweet was derogatory, which was reminiscent of the philosophy of the 1960s," Quady said. "That thinking is changing."

Quady Winery produces 52,000 cases a year.

Freelance writer Julia Hollister is based in San Francisco. E-mail:juliawrites@earthlink.net.