There's something awfully civilised about afternoon tea with a slice of quince cake and a glass of fine port. With its spicy, woody aromas (thanks to many years maturing in oak before blending and bottling) and balance of sweet strength and sturdy tannin in the mouth, tawny port is exactly what you need for the perfumed tang of the quince in this cake: a sweeter, more mouthfilling muscat would be too luscious, a vintage port too tannic and perhaps not sweet enough. No, tawny fits the bill nicely. Australian port production dates back several centuries, which means our winemakers have some wonderfully old and complex blending options in their cellars - not that we can call such wines "port" any more, since ceasing to use European wine terms associated with place names (real port comes from Oporto in Portugal). So, "tawny" it is.
Sweet and rich, tawny sits very nicely with the tangy fruit and crème fraîche flavours of a quince crumble cake.