Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Europe
343
Taylor's Port
War & Peace
Vila Nova de Gaia, Oporto, Portugal
The story of port is one of war, accident,
tenacity—and patience. In the Douro Val-
ley, a wild and mountainous region in the
north of Portugal, the locals have been
making wine since Roman times, carving
out terraces from the dry sandy soil and
shoring up the hardscrabble earth with
rambling rock walls. The whole area is a
monument to human doggedness, to the
determination to wrest something from
such unyielding soil. For centuries they
crushed the grapes by standing in line and
linking arms while treading the fruit in long
concrete troughs. The wine was then
transported down a treacherous river of
rapids 200km (124 miles) to the town of
Aporto, where it stayed, to be enjoyed by
the locals.
That was until the English came along.
Unending wars with France and Spain in
the 17th century meant the British had to
look elsewhere for their wine, and so they
looked instead to unknown Portugal. They
enjoyed the robust wines of the Douro val-
ley, but transportation was a problem. In
response, winemakers began adding
brandy or grape spirit to fortify the wine
and preserve it for the Atlantic voyage.
The almost pure alcohol stopped fermen-
tation in its tracks, and the wine retained a
sweetness that the English loved. Thus
port was born, the favorite after-dinner
tipple of the aristocracy.
British companies began setting up
wine aging lodges in the riverside town of
Villa Nova de Gaia, a steep hillside settle-
ment on the river Douro facing Oporto.
One of the first companies to do so was
Taylor's in 1692. This family-owned port
house is now one of the most prestigious
in the world. (A 1992 vintage Taylor's port
was awarded a perfect 100 points by Rob-
ert Parker, Jr., which is about as good as
you can get.)
Taylor's estate, farther up the valley, is
full of vines that are older than your grand-
mother. The free tour of their ancient
lodge is fascinating—as well as the usual
arched cellars and giant wooden vats,
there is a stately library full of leather-
bound volumes and polished wood panel-
ing where tastings are held at the end of
the tour. There is also an on-site restau-
rant, and a gorgeous lawn terrace with
lovely views of the river and Aporto.
During the tour you discover that the
area, which now has some 85,000 grow-
ers, is going through a renaissance, and
gaining a name for fine table wines as well.
Port may be steeped in history, but Tay-
lor's is investing heavily in technology and
releasing new types of port, including a
white variety. Although workers still tread
the grape by foot, they have also invented
an ingenious device called a “port toes”—
a stainless-steel wine tank equipped with
an internal system of pistons that replicate
the human foot.
Taylor's Port,
Rua do Choupelo 250,
Vila Nova de Gaia (
&
351/22/374-
2800;
www.taylor.pt).
(
Oporto Airport (15km/9 miles).
L
$$
Tiara Park Atlantic Oporto,
Av.
da Boavista 1466, Oporto (
&
351/22/
607-2500;
www.tiara-hotels.com). $
Anda-
rilho Oporto Hostel,
Rua da Firmeza 364,
Oporto (
&
351/22/201-2073;
www.
andarilhohostel.com).
