Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PORT WINE 101
With its intense flavours, silky textures and appealing sweetness, port wine is easy to love, especially when it is
taken with its proper accompaniments: cheese, nuts and dried fruit. Ports are also wonderfully varied, and even
non-connoisseurs can quickly learn to tell an aged tawny from a late-bottled vintage (LBV). For a friendly primer
on all things port, head to the convivial Vinologia ( Click here ) , where the learned owner gives an enlightening
lesson with each glass he pours (English and French spoken). From here, you can also head across the Douro to
Vila Nova de Gaia to taste the output of particular houses. Finally, impress friends and loved ones by leading your
own tour through the offerings at the remarkable Solar do Vinho do Porto ( Click here ) .
History
It was probably Roman soldiers who first planted grapes in the Douro valley some 2000 years ago, but tradition
credits the discovery of port itself to 17th-century British merchants. With their own country at war with France,
they turned to their old ally Portugal to meet their wine-drinking needs. The Douro valley was a particularly pro-
ductive area, though its wines were dark and astringent. According to legend, the British threw in some brandy
with grape juice, both to take off the wine's bite and to preserve it for shipment back to England - and port wine
was the result. In fact, the method may already have been in use in the region, though what's certain is that the
Brits took to the stuff. Their influence has been long and enduring, a fact that is still evidenced by some of port's
most illustrious names including Taylor's, Graham's and Cockburn's.
The Grapes
Port-wine grapes are born out of adversity. They manage to grow on rocky terraces with hardly any water or even
soil, and their roots must reach down as far as 30m, weaving past layers of acidic schist (shale-like stone) to find
nourishment. Vines endure both extreme heat in summer and freezing temperatures in winter. These conditions
produce intense flavours that stand up to the infusions of brandy. The most common varietals are hardy, dark reds
such as touriga, tinto cão and tinto barroca .
The Wine
Grapes are harvested in autumn and immediately crushed (often still by foot) and allowed to ferment until alcohol
levels reach 7%. At this point, one part brandy is added to every five parts wine. Fermentation stops immediately,
leaving the unfermented sugars that make port sweet. The quality of the grapes, together with the ways the wine
is aged and stored, determines the kind of port you get. The most common include the following:
Ruby - made from average-quality grapes, and aged at least two years in vats; rich, red colours and sweet, fruity
flavours.
Tawny - made from average-quality grapes, and aged for two to seven years in wooden casks; mahogany col-
ours, drier than ruby, with nuttier flavours.
Aged tawny - selected from higher-quality grapes, then aged for many years in wooden casks; subtler and silkier
than regular tawny; drinks more like brandy or cognac than wine.
Vintage - made from the finest grapes from a single year (and only select years qualify), aged in barrels for two
years, then aged in bottles for at least 10 years (and up to 100 or more); dark ruby colours, fruity yet extremely
subtle and complex.
Late-bottled vintage (LBV) - made from very select grapes of a single year, aged for around five years in
wooden casks, then bottled; similar to vintage, but ready for immediate drinking once bottled, and usually
smoother and lighter bodied.
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