It’s time to reconsider port. The Portuguese fortified wine comes in styles that reflect a spectrum of complex flavour profiles and deserves to be sipped much more often than once a year alongside your Christmas cheese board. Nobody knows this better than Mr Max Graham, the founder of Bar Douro, a buzzy spot in Flat Iron Square, London, clad in traditional Azulejo tiles that serves delicious Portuguese small plates. The restaurant’s cellar boasts an impressive array of wines sourced from throughout Portugal and an equally extensive selection of white, tawny, ruby and vintage port. “I think for a lot of people, port has stuffy connotations,” says Mr Graham. “But there are so many different styles.”

Mr Graham, who grew up in Porto, has port in his blood. His family makes Churchill’s Port, which was founded by his father in 1981. “I grew up surrounded by wine, and spent many an evening playing guess the vintage,” he says. But he noticed that younger drinkers in London were less quick to succumb to the drink’s charms. “I opened  Churchill’s Port House, a pop-up port bar in Soho, focused on showcasing different styles of port and trying to engage with a younger demographic,” he says. Adding Portuguese food to the equation was the logical next step and Bar Douro, which is set to expand into a second site in the city this winter, was born.

There are three main styles of port. White port is, unsurprisingly, made with white grapes, including varieties such as malvasia fina, viosinho and rabigato. “At Bar Douro, it became the drink of the summer,” says Mr Graham. “It’s versatile, approachable and can be served long, with tonic, in cocktails or chilled.”

Tawny ports are lighter in style, made from red grapes, such as touriga nacional or tinta roriz and are aged in seasoned oak barrels for 10, 20 or 30 years and upwards. “They have a nutty profile and they’re also served chilled,” says Mr Graham. “They make a superb wine-bar pour. Unlike tawny and white, ruby port is aged in the bottle and is darker in colour, with lively fruit aromas.

For something really special, says Mr Graham, seek out a vintage port. “They’re the ultimate expression of the drink – one of the most complex of the old-world classic wines and incredible value for the quality. The good ones have such freshness, even after 40 years of ageing, with a tight-knit structure holding together a plethora of aromas and flavours.” Feeling thirsty? Try Mr Graham’s top five port picks, below.

 “This has a rich, golden colour from its 10-year ageing in seasoned oak barrels. Serve chilled as an aperitif and pair with roasted almonds.”

“Pale red, with a golden rim, this is savoury and rich on the palate. It has notes of almonds and red morello cherries.”

“A classic vintage with a robust structure, typical of Taylor’s ports, with delicate notes of candied cherry.”

“This is a lovely fresh and youthful port with great ageing potential. It has brilliant purity of fruit with excellent black-fruit character.”

“This is the oldest and most memorable port I’ve tasted. It’s a perfect example of how well a vintage port can age. Very refined, with notes of figs and dark chocolate, but also with perfect acidity.”