Port wine

Published on 7th October, 2024

Port, or port wine, is a sweet, fortified, usually red wine originating from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. This area is the only place in the world that can produce authentic ports. It was the world’s first officially demarcated wine region in 1756.

Named after the town of Oporto, where it is aged and bottled, it has a history as rich as the drink itself. 

It was in the late 17th century that port as we know it today, was born. Back then, Britain wasn’t suitable for growing grapes, they traditionally imported wine from France, but during the war with France in the 17th century, Britain boycotted French wine and looked elsewhere.

At that time, two wine merchants were exploring the Douro Valley and they discovered a monastery where the abbot added grape spirit to his red wine early on in its fermentation to preserve its sweetness.

To help sustain and preserve their wines for the long sea voyage back to England, they decided to use this method of ‘fortification’ too. The traders had their base in Porto, from where it is shipped to the world to this day.

Little has changed - port is still produced in this way - by intentionally interrupting the fermentation of the grape must (or juice) by the addition of a clear grape spirit called ‘aguardente’, generally referred to as ‘brandy’. This preserves a large amount of the grapes’ natural sugars, thereby giving port its characteristic sweetness and richness.

Ports have a reputation for being higher in alcohol, noticeably sweeter, with more body and palate density than other still wines. Fans of rich cheese and decadent desserts appreciate its pairing versatility.

There are up to 52 grape varieties used to make the four main styles of port – ruby (red), tawny, white, and rosé, not forgetting the premium category: late-bottled vintage (LBV) and crusted ports.

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Published in: Guide to Portugal / Miscellaneous / Portuguese Life