How is Port Different?

 

The Douro Valley's stone terraced vineyards are now a United Nations World Heritage Site (UNESCO)

Port is made in a completely different manner than other wines.  To understand the difference it’s important to understand the wine’s historical origin.  Port wine originated in the Douro Valley which lies in Portugal’s northeast corner near the Spanish border.  The Romans, who invaded Portugal before the birth of Christ, brought with them a depth of wine-making knowledge.   They pain-stakingingly constructed stone terraces which allowed vineyards to be built and worked on the Douro Valley's inhospitably steep hillsides.  

            This 17th century map shows the many countries to where Port was shipped from Porto

Port wine received its name from the city in Portugal from which it was first shipped, Porto. Barrels of wine were transported by small boats from the wineries of the Douro Valley down river to Porto.  Located where the mouth of the Douro River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Porto played an important role in exporting Port to the remainder of Europe and the world.  This leads to Port’s biggest difference from other wine.  Let me explain.

                  Port wine was taken from Douro Valley downstream to Porto on the Douro River

Port is a “fortified” wine which means that alcohol (e.g. a spirit such as brandy) has been added.   In learning about Port, it’s important to understand why this alcohol was originally added.   During the 17th century,  England (a country of French wine lovers), had levied a huge tax on French wines.  It didn’t take long for British wine importers to look for alternate sources.  Voila!  The first wines shipped by boat from Porto arrived in England spoiled.  Someone had the genius idea of adding Brandy to the wine to preserve it during its long maritime journey.  The Brits loved this new high-octane edition of Portuguese red wine and Port was born.  The rest is history.

Today, alcohol is added to Port half-way during the fermentation of grapes in the Douro Valley.  The alcohol actually stops fermentation.  During fermentation sugar is converted into alcohol.   Stopping fermentation midway means there is still sugar remaining in the wine.  This is why Port is sweeter (100 grams per liter of sugar) than regular wine (dry wine has <1 gram per liter).  Since a brandy type alcohol is added, Port is also higher in alcohol (20%) than table wine (12-14%).

                     Port can be a mixture of different grapes as well as wine from different years

The second significant difference is that Port is a blended wine.  While other wines are often blends of different grape varieties, Port is not only a mixture of many diverse grapes from many different vineyards, but also is a blending of several different vintages of the same wine.

 

                      Wine-Knows will taste a lineup of several Ports in Porto & the Douro Valley

Thirdly, Port is also unique in that it is made in several styles.  These different types of Port are based on the quality of the grapes, as well as how long it has been aged.  Here are some examples of the most well-known styles:

• Ruby is the least expensive and less complex Port.  It is aged for only 3 years in the bottle.  Ruby is often served chilled as an aperitif.

• Tawny is named for its amber color.   This Port, aged in barrels for at least 3 years, offers more complexity.  Tawny can also be served as an aperitif, or offered at the end of the meal.

• Vintage is only 2% of Port's production.  It is made in the best years by only the top estates.  Bottle-aged often for decades, it is known for having explosive aromas and rich, concentrated flavors.  Vintage Port's classical pairing is with a blue cheese.

 

Wine-Knows will be visiting Porto this September and will be tasting Port at two of Portugal’s most famous wineries.   But, our Port education won’t end there as we will travel up river to the Douro Valley for two nights.  During our stay we'll visit another two wineries and actually see the dramatic steep vineyards that were originally carved out by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago.  The Douro's vineyards are so special that they have been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations (UNESCO).

 

 

Culinary Souvenirs from Portugal

Wine-Knows is heading to the Port region of Portugal for this September’s harvest.   If you’re one of the lucky folks who have a space on this sold-out trip, here’s a sneak preview of items that you should consider bringing home for yourself or for foodie friends.  If you’re not joining us, some of these items can be procured on the Internet.

Piri Piri Sauce:

                                    African BBQ sauce from Portugal's colonial days

Angola was under Portuguese control from the 16^th century until the 1970’s.  Piri piri (Swahili for pepper pepper)  is an Angolan version of Tabasco.  This African rendition, however, has citrus and onion along with a variety of herbs such as bay leaves, paprika, basil and oregano.  It is a classical condiment on many tables throughout Portugal.  The ultimate pairing is with the country’s popular rotisserie chicken.   

Flor De Sal:

                                       Just harvested from the top layer of the sea

"Flower of salt" is Portuguese sea salt.  With nearly 800 miles of coastline, the country offers several producers of this sea salt.  And, the prices are better than the French  fleur du sel.

Vista Alegre Porcelain:

                             Many of Europe's Michelin-star restaurants use Vista Alegre

One of the most exquisite producers of fine porcelain in Europe is located in Portugal.  For centuries Vista Alegre has been one of the top choices for royalty throughout Europe (Buckingham Palace often uses Vista Alegre for their heads of state dinners). Wine-Knows will be visiting the factory to observe the entire process and this means access to the factory’s store.

Vintage Port:

                                      Vintage Port is only made in extraordinary years

How can one go to Portugal without picking up a bottle (or two) of Port?  Vintage Port, however, is just not any Port.  It’s only produced by the top Port wineries in the best years.  Since it’s often sold in half bottles, it’s a perfect treasure to tuck away in your suitcase for the flight home.

White Port:

      Served to Wine-Knows on the 2011 trip to Porto

You may be scratching your head on this one as very few white Ports are exported. 

White Port, served over ice with tonic and a twist of lemon, makes for an extremely heavenly aperitif on a hot summer's day.  I plan to bring home every bottle I can fit in my checked luggage.

Viva Portugal!

Port Primer

                                          Port tasting during the Wine-Knows' 2011 trip

Port wine is synonymous with Portugal for it was here that the world’s first Port was crafted.  Named after the seaside town of Porto (from which the wine was originally shipped), it is made in a completely different manner than table wine.  Let’s take it take a step-by-step look at how Port is made, as well as examine the many different types of Port.

First, Port is a fortified wine---this means that alcohol has been added.   To learn about Port, however, it’s important to understand why the addition of alcohol.  Brandy was originally added to stabilize wine during the 17^th century for transport to England.  Today, alcohol is added half-way during the fermentation cycle to actually stop the fermentation.   As fermentation is the chemical conversion of sugar into alcohol, by stopping it midway (leaving remaining sugar) this is the reason why Port is always sweeter than regular wine.  Port is higher in alcohol than table wine since brandy is added.

Port is a blended wine. Not only is there a mixture of many diverse grapes, from many different vineyards, but there can also be a combination of several different vintages that are blended together in one single bottle.

Port is, furthermore, unique in that it comes in several styles.  These different types of port are based on the quality of the grapes, as well as how long it has been aged.  Here are some examples of the most well-known styles:

1.     Ruby:  The least expensive and less complex Port, this one is aged for only 3 years in bottle.  It is often served chilled as an aperitif.

2.    Tawny:  named for its amber color, this Port is aged in barrels for at least 3 years and offers more complexity.  Tawny can also be served as an aperitif or served at the end of the meal.

3.     Vintage:  only 2% of the production, it is made in the best years by only the top estates.  Bottle-aged for often decades, it offers explosive aromas and rich, concentrated flavors and finish.  The classical pairing is a well-crafted blue cheese.

If you’re joining Wine-Knows on the sold-out trip to Porto this autumn, you’ll have the opportunity to try all of these and many more.