Port

Port is a fortified wine made from several different grape varieties cultivated in northern Portugal. It comes in a variety of styles including Vintage, Tawny and Ruby.

The first stages of the port production process take place in the Douro region of Portugal. From there, the port wine is transported to cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, near Oporto, for further maturation. During fermentation, a high strength brandy called aguardente is added to lend the port its unique color and flavor.

The Portuguese wine industry is proud of its unique product and rightly so. It is keen, above all, to dissociate itself from dubious port "lookalikes", produced outside Portugal. So, for the record, let it be known that only port produced in Portugal can be called genuine port. Caveat emptor, therefore, and always check out the label first.

Now, feelings indeed are running high where inferior Port imitations are concerned, so high in fact that the official Portuguese wine regulation body has renamed port "Porto" to reflect its authenticity and the name of the city, Oporto, from which it derives.

For a taste of the genuine article, try:

Vintage Port

This style of port is produced from grapes grown in a particularly good year. Standards have to be exceptionally high for a vintage year to be declared. Top of the range vintage port is normally matured in wood for around two to three years and then stored in bottles for up to twenty years or more, in order to reach its full maturity.

Vintage Character Port

This type of port is actually a blend of good quality wine taken from different vintages or years. Vintage character port is usually aged in wood for approximately four years and is ready for drinking soon after being bottled.

LBV (Late Bottled Vintage)

A vintage-style port, which has been matured for around six years, before bottling. LBV will continue to improve, once bottled.

Tawny Port

Tawny port is matured in casks for up to ten years or more, until it develops its mellow flavor and characteristic faded tawny color. Tawny ports tend to be top of the range and make for excellent after dinner drinking.

Ruby Port:

As its title suggests ruby port has a distinctive ruby-red color. A basic style port, ruby port is usually ready for drinking after two to five years' maturation in wood. It has a fruity, almost liquorice flavor.

White Port

Although white port only accounts for a small sector of the port trade it is nevertheless becoming an increasingly popular, modern apéritif.