PORTO - Portugal - page 347

which you'll see everywhere: a mysterious man wearing a black cloak (representing a
Portuguese student's cape) and a rakish Shadow hat (worn by Spanish horse-riders, sym-
bolizing the sherry that Sandeman makes in Jerez). Sandeman provides the most cor-
porate, mainstream, accessible experience for first-timers—with a short walk led by a
caped guide, a 10-minute video, and two tastings. It's also the most crowded, often giv-
ing times for you to return or sending you to their sister manufacturers (€4.50, also more
extensive €15 tour, daily March-Oct 10:00-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, Nov-Feb 9:30-12:30
& 14:00-17:30, right on the riverfront at Largo Miguel Bombarda 3, tel. [phone],
www.sandeman.com ). It's exciting to think that the entire Portuguese production of San-
deman Port ages right in this building.
Port-Wine Crash Course
Port is a medium-sweet wine (20 percent alcohol), usually taken as a digestif after din-
ner, sometimes with strong cheese to balance its powerful flavor. The wine is fortified
with aguardente (grape brandy, more like grappa, sometimes called “grape essence”)
at a ratio of about 4:1. This brandy is also distilled from wine, so it blends nicely
with the port. The introduction of brandy halts fermentation early, killing the yeast
and leaving more sugar in the port (standard wines ferment for 10-12 days; port for
only 2-3 days). Vintners constantly monitor sugar levels to attain the precise sweet-
ness they want. After the brandy is added, the wine ages in wood or in bottles, any-
where from two years to (for big spenders) longer than a century.