where do I find these port recipes?



"Mike R" > wrote in message
om...
> I am toying with the idea making some port but I have my usual points
> of
> confusion.
>
> 1. What type of reds make good ports? I was going to draw off a
> gallon of a new batch of Merlot. Does it make a difference?
>
> 2. The Portugese method seems to be to ferment for 3-4 days then hit
> it with 77 percent abv brandy. Other instructions say to use high
> alcohol tolerant yeast, and coax the sugar level up as well as the
> alcohol content. If the desired abv is ~20 percent, why can't one
> simply chaptalize a finished red (13 percent) up to the desired RS
> level and then hit it with some 190 proof grain alcohol to raise it to
> 20 percent abv? There must be something else going on in the wine that
> I am missing. What would be the effect if I do as described above?
>
> 3. Once done (sugar and additional alcohol), should oak be added for
> extended aging?