PORT WINES
NEW RULES
FOR PORT
Forget the dusty decanter and after-dinner ritual. Port-style wines are breaking free from tradition and crashing the party in bold new ways.
Two lucky readers each stand a chance to win a mixed case of De Krans Port.
Scan the QR code below to enter. Winners to be announced 1st September 2026.
Port-style wines are experiencing a well-deserved comeback. Once reserved for after-dinner sipping, they’ re now being enjoyed in all sorts of ways, from chilled summer pours to easy, crowd-pleasing cocktails.
At the heart of South Africa’ s portstyle wine category is Calitzdorp, a Klein Karoo town often called the country’ s port-style capital. Interestingly, its story began with a happy accident.
In 1973, the Nel family of De Krans Wines believed they had planted Shiraz after a visit to the Swartland. It turned out to be Tinta Barocca, one of Portugal’ s traditional port grape varieties. Luckily, it thrived in Calitzdorp’ s warm, dry climate, similar to the Douro Valley’ s, and became the region’ s first Portuguese cultivar.
Another twist came in 2004, when Tinta Amarela was planted instead of Tinta Roriz. These unexpected moments helped shape Calitzdorp into the home of South Africa’ s portstyle wine production.
While many still casually say“ port”, local producers haven’ t been allowed to use the term on labels since 2011, following an agreement with the European Union. Instead, you’ ll see names like Cape Ruby, Cape Tawny and Cape Vintage – a system introduced to preserve the identity of these wines while respecting international naming rules.
What’ s really changing, though, is how we enjoy them. Port-style wines are no longer just for winter nights or the end of a meal. A chilled Cape Tawny can be surprisingly refreshing on a warm day, while Cape Pink adds a vibrant twist to cocktails. They also shine alongside food – think cheese boards, savoury dishes or rich desserts like chocolate fondant and crème brûlée.
There’ s no single“ right” way to enjoy them, which is exactly the point. For the best experience, serve port-style wines in a standard wine glass rather than a small liqueur glass. This allows the aromas and flavours to fully open up.
Rich in history, full of character and more versatile than ever, port-style wines are well worth rediscovering.
For more information, visit www. dekrans. co. za
essentialflavours. co. za • Winter 2026 | 61