Pink port and wine wellness

The scene: A dinner party in London, Sydney, Hong Kong or on the Costa del Sol. Your glass is empty and you'd like some more port.

The ritual: Because it is considered impolite to ask for the port directly, you ask the person nearest to the bottle or decanter if he or she knows the Bishop of Norwich. If he or she says "no", that person is told, "The bishop is an awfully good fellow, but he never passes the port!"

Ceremony is a big part of port's heritage, but traditions have to change with the times. The 300-year-old port wine industry is waking up to the 21st century. Purists may find the idea of pink port unthinkable, but it is increasingly popular with younger drinkers. Croft Pink is a hit in Texas, where it is served as an iced drink in Houston bars.

To modernize the image of port even further, the Fladgate Partnership, best known for the Taylor's brand, is opening a luxury hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia, near Porto, where the main producers store their port. The Yeatman Hotel, which opens in June, will have a spa, where guests can relax with a grape face mask followed by a glass of organic port.