What is port wine?
The name port wine or port refers to a sweet wine which originates in the region Alto Douro in the Douro valley in Portugal. Most port wine is red, however, a few white ports exist as well. As a sweet wine, port is great in combination with desserts or generally after a meal.
The history of port wine
With the expansion of the Roman Empire, viniculture came to Portugal. Although it took until the 13th century before the Duoro valley was used to grow wine, the importance of the region soon became apparent.
The English were the first to develop a big interest in wine from Portugal. In a trade agreement from 1373, they allowed the Portuguese to fish for cod on the British coast for a supply of their delicious wine.
The subpar relationship with France in particular led to the British looking for wines in Spain and Portugal. In a Portuguese monastery, they finally found a wine that stood out from the rest: The priest port convinced the British with its high quality and exquisite sweetness.
How is port wine produced?
The grapes for port production may exclusively come from the three regions Baixo Corgo, Cima-Corgo and Douro Superior in the Duoro valley. About thirty varieties are permitted, including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cão and Tinta Roriz.
What makes the production of port so special compared to other wines is the fortification. During this process, high-proof, neutral alcohol is added to the fermenting must, which interrupts the fermentation process. Since the fermentation comes to a halt before the sugar has been converted, port wine is noticeably sweeter.
After fermentation, port wine is typically stored for half a year in the Duoro valley and afterwards in big wooden tanks for two years.
What types of port wine are there?
There is not just one type of port wine; instead, there are a number of varieties which differ in production and aroma:
- Ruby Port refers to port which mainly matures in bottles.
- The term Tawny Port is used for port wine that is mainly matured in casks.
- A Vintage Port is a special high-quality wine which was produced from a single vintage.
- A variation of the vintage port is the Late Bottle Vintage, which matures four to six years in casks before the bottling.
- If a port wine is made from white grapes, the term White Port is used.
What special port wine brands are there?
The Duoro valley offers a huge number of special port wine brands. The most important brands include Grahams, Sandeman, Ramos Pinto, Quinta do Noval, Kopke, Offley, Messias and Niepoort.
Port wine at Gustero
We at Gustero have put a lot of time into looking for the best port wines and now present a good selection. Take a look at our assortment now and discover your new favourite port wine!
