The First Wine Region
Portugal's Douro and Port Wine
While wine has been produced in Portugal for
centuries, the first reference to port production
refers to the late 1700s as colonizing nations
competed for land and economic power.
Wine was a major export for all European
states and Portugal's Douro region was
no exception. Situated along the banks of the river
Douro, which provided a commercial "highway" for
Portugal's traded goods, the Douro region extends
80 miles. The land is sheltered from cool
Atlantic breezes by surrounding mountain ranges,
while the tributaries feeding the river aid in irrigation.
Although the mountains and valleys provided certain
advantages they also posed difficulties for vine
cultivation. As a
result, large "stairways" have been carved out of the
hills, and curve with the natural shape of the
hillsides. (See picture above.) These stairways
provide flat
land for vines and also create a beautiful panorama
of the Douro countryside.
In the mid-18th century, port wine was in great
demand internationally. To protect its economic
interests, the Portuguese government signed a
treaty with the British granting preferential status to
port over other French wines. Additionally, because
of a crisis that would have hurt the port wine trade
severely, a company with "royal powers" was created
that set out to demarcate
the "Alto Douro," creating the first demarcated wine
region.
Port wine is a fortified wine produced only in the
Douro region, aged and shipped from Oporto from
where it took its name; however, many port-style
wines are produced in other areas of the world. After
the grapes are harvested, they ferment in large vats.
When the must
(unfermented grape juice) reaches a desired
fermentation point, grape brandy is
added to halt the fermentation process. The wine
then rests and matures before being shipped. This
resting stage is heavily controlled to preserve the
level of refinement and quality that port has
achieved over decades.
While the history of port makes for an interesting
story, walking into a wine shop and requesting a
bottle of port will still
afford you many choices. "Port" indicates a region of
origin, not a type of wine. Therefore, many types
exist. White port is cask aged, which depending
on the
length of aging affects its color, and is produced
from white grapes, often providing a dry aromatic
taste. Ruby port is the product of
several blends, aged in casks and generally
young, sweet, and fruitful. Tawny port is,
again, cask aged but for longer
periods which leads to a more elegant style with a
bouquet of dried fruit flavors. With age, the wine
develops into a tawny color. Tawny with An
Indication of Age is obtained by
blending wines from different years. Aged in wood for
varying time periods, the label's age indicates
the wine's approximate average age.
Vintage
port is the result of a single harvest of
particular high quality bottled at 2 to 3 years of age
with the year and the word "vintage" clearly
indicated. Lastly, LBV (Late Bottled Vintage)
port also is from a superior harvest and is
bottled in the 4th to 6th year after it was made.
There are many old customs and rituals associated
with drinking port, but ultimately, what we love
about port is
that it is truly a "friendly" wine. Port connoisseurs
rarely re-cork the bottle which means that company
is almost required to enjoy a full bottle. It's a great
wine meant to be enjoyed with great friends after
great food.
