Text Ilkka Sirén

I live in a city. I grew up in the countryside but couldn’t see myself living anywhere else than the concrete embrace of my city. Helsinki is just the perfect size; not too big, not too small. Only half a million people live here and it’s a capital of a country. Fairly peaceful but buzzing enough to keep it interesting. Still every now and then I feel myself, especially after a busy work week, yearning for some classic countryside peace.

Nothing around you except wheat fields, forests and lakes. Just over an hours drive north of Helsinki you can find all the space and peace you want. I usually grab a handful of wines, some good food and head out to cook and relax. People say cooking is very therapeutic and they are not lying. Doesn’t matter if you are a good cook or not, just doing something useful with your hands is very rewarding and makes you think things differently.

There is always room for friends and family. If I wanted some alone time I would move to Siberia and become a monk. I find it very harmonizing to have lots of friends and family around you, just doing what they do. When the table is set the food starts flying around and wines get lined up. Even if Finland is geographically challenged we do get quite a bit of wines up here. But there is one wine category that has been absent for too long, white port. It’s frustrating to be a fan of fortified wines in Finland when the selection is very limited. But now a “new” wine has arrived to Finland.

Table is set – Photo by Ilkka Sirén | All Rights Reserved

Ferreira 10-year-old white port – Photo by Ilkka Sirén | All Rights Reserved

It just might be one of the best listings in Finland this year. Ferreira 10-year-old White Port is the newbie everyone’s talking about. For a reason I can’t really understand white port wine has a slightly bad reputation. Well, for those who wonder I say WAKE UP! Aged white ports are in my opinion some of the most delicious and food friendly wines out there. This seductive port is a prime example of a good quality white port. The ripe fruitiness together with balanced aromas from barrel aging creates a delicious combination of flavours. A queen bee in the cheese table, going well with blue cheese or Gouda for example, or just as a slow sipper after dinner. Just let the golden hue flicker in the candle light. It’s a cliché but it works, trust me. I’m very happy that we can now find some proper white port in Finland. Slowly but surely people are starting to discover the wonderful world of port wines.