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Best ports to enjoy with chocolate, cheese and more, from £8.29
Whether ruby, LBV or tawny, these expert-approved ports are the ones to buy
Tested by Georgia TurnellGHI Food & Drink Tester
Whether you prefer white, ruby, tawny or vintage, there's a port to suit every taste and budget.
The Good Housekeeping Institute tested 28 bottles from all the leading supermarkets and big-name brands to see which ones are worth stocking up on for the year ahead (because no, port is not just for Christmas). And happily, our picks start from just £8.29.
Best port for 2025
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Different types of port — explained
- White port – Best served cold, white port is delicious and refreshing with a splash of tonic water, and makes a great alternative to your beloved G&T. Often drunk as an aperitif, we recommend serving it with a side of salted almonds.
- Rosé port – Just like rosé wine, here you can expect to find notes of strawberries and raspberries, alongside a caramel sweetness. Cheese, chocolate, fruity puddings and sorbet are all excellent pairings – serve ice cold for maximum enjoyment.
- Tawny port – The name refers to the colour the wine turns after ageing. To have this label, they must be at least two years old, but you’ll also find much older examples, such as our winning 10-year-old (below). The age statement means the liquid is a blend of vintages with an average barrel ageing. Flavours here tend to be nuttier, and can include caramel, cinnamon and chocolate.
- Ruby port – These tend to be inexpensive, deep ruby-coloured, and often paired with a cheeseboard. Within this category, you’ll find your slightly more premium reserve ports, late bottled vintage port (otherwise known as LBV, these are aged for longer but still designed to be drunk young) and vintage ports.
How we test port
To find the best port, the Good Housekeeping Institute's panel of WSET-trained experts and consumers tried 28 bottles – from white to ruby – from the leading supermarkets and big brands. Each was tasted blind to prevent brand bias, and experts were looking for easy-drinking styles that would work well either savoured straight-up or paired with food.
These are our top-rated ports to add to your drinks cabinet.
Score: 88/100
Sandeman’s barrel-aged 10-year-old tawny is elegant, rich and fruity, and our must-buy port this Christmas. Bursting with light caramel, dates and walnuts, we’ll be serving it alongside chocolate desserts and mature cheese.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 85/100
This LBV port from Taylor's proved the best buy in this category, appealing to those with a sweet tooth. With delicious jammy fruit, spicy black pepper and a hint of caramel, it's made for the cheeseboard.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 82/100
Testers felt this 10-year-old tawny had the fresh, fruit-forward nature of a ruby port, with caramel sweetness, figs, dates and cinnamon spice coming to the fore as the flavour developed. It’s more powerful than the price tag would suggest, and a stellar choice to savour on the sofa after dessert.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 81/100
Waitrose’s own-brand port scored well with our panel and is nearly half the price of our winning tawny. Our testers thought it was deliciously rich and complex, with notes of honey, figs, vanilla, cloves and almond, telling us it tasted expensive. Try serving it with Christmas pudding or sticky toffee pudding.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 78/100
While un-aged white port tends to be served with tonic as the ultimate refreshing aperitif, this is an altogether more serious proposition. With notes of dried apricot, spice and vanilla, you could pair it with everything from earthy, mushroom starters and nutty hard cheese, through to apple crumble. Cheers!
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 75/100
Our best value ruby port leaves you with plenty of change for the rest of your bar cart. Zinging with red berries and a touch of cinnamon spice, it’s an excellent buy to serve lightly chilled alongside cheese, fruity desserts or chocolate.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 19% |
Score: 75/100
We think this Sainsbury’s 10-year-old tawny is the perfect smooth sip to savour on Christmas Eve while waiting for Santa to arrive. With figs, honey, caramel and a touch of dark chocolate, it’s got it all.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 71/100
If you're looking for a super special gift, we have this 2003 bottling, a vintage year as declared by all the major port houses. Croft’s elegant example is the most expensive bottle we tested, and one for the true connoisseur. With notes of plum, blackcurrant, chocolate and caramel, we’d pair this with a cheese board and quince jelly.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 71/100
Picture the scene: a glass of this excellent value LBV, a slab of extra-strong mature cheddar and a roaring fire – cute dog at your feet optional. Heaven! Rich and well-rounded, with notes of blackberry, black cherry and chocolate – stock up while you can and live the dream.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 70/100
Qunita do Noval’s unfiltered LBV may need decanting before serving with cheese or chocolate (or both!), but you’ll be rewarded with plenty of complexity. Rich and generous with dark cherry, blackberry, and dark chocolate, it’s Christmas in a glass.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Georgia has been part of the hospitality industry for the last nine years. Her starting point was the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school where she gained a Diplôme de Pâtisserie. She has worked at a number of well-known restaurants and bakeries including The Club at the Ivy and Ottolenghi, Notting Hill where she was the head pastry chef. Most recently, Georgia worked at The Clink Bakery inside HMP Brixton, which aims to reduce reoffending through teaching. She is an expert in all things baked goods and holds a WSET level 2 in wine.
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