Port wine: description, strength, what to drink with. History of Portuguese Port

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

What is port wine? In the post-Soviet space, it is associated with poor quality wine, but with a high alcohol content. But real port wine has nothing to do with what is sold in tetra packs for next to nothing. For some reason, the German name of this drink has taken root in Russia. But vinho do Porto, or Vinho do Porto, is 100% Portuguese. And not low, but noble origin. In this article we will tell an interesting history of the drink. We will describe what quality ports are like. We will also mention how to serve and drink porto wine. Do not know which brand to choose in a trusted store or duty free? We will tell you what should be indicated on the label of a quality port.

Terroir

It's no secret that wine is not so much about the type of vine as it is about the soil and climate where it grows. Although there is an opinion that port wine was “born on the road”, it still has terroir. This is the valley of the Douro River. You should know that this waterway also flows through the territory of Spain, namely throughthe wine regions of Toro, Rueda and Ribera del Duero. When the river, becoming very full-flowing and slow, crosses the Portuguese border, it rolls its waters among the stony shale rocks. The Douro breaks through its channel between steep, almost sheer hills, on the narrow terraces of which vineyards are laid out. Very hot dry summers and frosty snowy winters create specific conditions suitable for the maturation of not all varieties of vines. The best appellation for port wine is the area between the villages of São João da Pesqueira and Régua. The crop is grown there for the drink, which has the category of Região Demarcada do Douro - in other words, "a name controlled by origin from the Douro Valley." And this is enshrined in legislative acts not only of Portugal, but also of the European Union. Why is the drink named after the city of Porto, which is located at the mouth of the Douro?

Interesting history of port wine

The first attempts at winemaking were made on the territory of modern Portugal in the Bronze Age. The ancient Romans, having colonized the area, significantly expanded the cultivated area and introduced new technologies to the production of drinks. However, Italian varieties of vines did not withstand the microclimate of the Douro, which the locals themselves call "eight months of winter and four months of hell." Turiga Nacional remained the absolute leader in the vineyards. Everything changed when, in the 11th century, Duke Henry II of Burgundy married the daughter of the king of Castile and Leon. As a dowry to Princess Alfonso the Sixth gave the region of Portucale. Henry II herebegan to develop a new patrimony and ordered the local varieties to be transported from his native Burgundy. After painstaking work on adaptation, they took root on shale soils and in the sharply continental climate of the Douro Valley. But it was not yet port wine. Porto appeared much later. A medieval drink from the Douro Valley was called viño de lamejo. How did it turn into port wine?

Mars-born

Usually, wars bring only death and destruction. But it was the tense relations between England and France that led to the fact that the drink was born. In the second half of the 17th century, the Colbert government imposed a ban on the export of Bordeaux wines to the British Isles. The British were offended and also refused to import their goods into France. But I wanted some wine, and the climate of Foggy Albion allowed only beer and whiskey to be made. It was then that the attention of the British turned to Portuguese wine. "Porto" first appears in the customs documents of 1678 as a drink that arrived by sea from this city. But the British had tasted vinho de lamejo much earlier. Since 1373, there was an agreement that the Portuguese would pay for the right to catch cod off the coast of Britain with barrels of wine. But in the 17th century, the British appreciated the aroma and, most importantly, the strength of the new drink. The alcohol content of port wine ranged from 17.5 to 21 percent. Why so many? After all, in ordinary wine 11-13 degrees? This is the characteristic feature of port wine.

Ancient production technology

In the middle Dourothe harvest was harvested, the berries were crushed and the must was allowed to ferment. Then the young, not quite ripe wine was transported to Porto. In this city, he was loaded onto ships to be delivered to the British coast. But sea voyages lasted more than one week in that era. Young wine, and even with high acidity, often did not tolerate transportation. So in the ports of Liverpool, Bristol or Cardiff, it happened that vinegar was also unloaded. To reduce losses during transportation, winemakers in Porto began to add brandy to the must. The increased general degree stabilized the drink and did not allow vinegar fermentation to develop. Then the addition of brandy to the fermenting wort became an integral part of the port wine production technology. The increased degree gave cognac notes to the drink, which was exported. And the British liked it very much. But it was not yet the port we know today.

Technology change

In the wake of increased demand, unscrupulous winemakers began to add elderberries and sugar to low-quality pale and sour drinks. This undermined the confidence of the British in port. The price of it fell, because the market was oversaturated. The good name of port was saved by the Marquis and Prime Minister of Portugal, Sebastian José de Pompalu. In 1756, he introduced a strict framework for the production of the drink. So, the harvest for it could be harvested only in the Douro River Valley in three sub-regions: Douro Superior, Sima Korgu and Baixu Korgu. The requirements for varieties have also been tightened. There are 165 grape varieties grown in the Douro Valley. But only 87 of them are allowed for port wine, and 29 are considered the best. The leader, likeformerly, Toriga Nacional, as well as the well-adapted Burgundy vine Toriga Franca. Of the other red varieties, Tinta Rorish, Cau and Barroca are added to real Porto. For a light drink, the berries of Viocinho, Malvasia Fina, Goveyo and Donselinho are used. Later, brandy (or cognac spirits) began to be added to wine at the stage of its fermentation.

How is production going now

It seems that port wine can be made anywhere. After all, this is not so much a wine as a technology that can be repeated even apart from the terroir. Mix cognac spirits into the fermented wort - and, voila, port is ready. Porto, however, is a joint product born of soils, a unique microclimate, varieties of vines. And they hardly even tried to repeat the old technology of making a drink at the Kizlyar winery. First, the berries are crushed with their feet in a granite shallow (about 60 cm) vat, called lagar. Both fermentation and fermentation last only two or three days. Then comes the consolidation of wine by adding grape alcohol with a strength of 77 degrees. There is a violent interruption of fermentation just at the time when about half of the sugars have already turned into alcohol. And in this process, the main trick is to extract the maximum color, aromas and tannins from the must in a short period of vinification. It is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of cognac spirits in order to balance the strength, taste and aroma of the drink.

Types of port wine

Wine aging lasts the whole winter. During this time, the growing wort is poured from oneoak barrels into others to separate the sediment. Experienced technologists determine the qualities of the future port wine and classify it into categories. The most successful batches - the so-called "exceptionally good harvest of the year" - fall into the "vintage port" class. The casks are transported to the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, where the headquarters of the main producers of port wine are concentrated. The rest of the drinks are further classified. They are divided into the categories "Late bottling", "Ruby", "Tawny" (Tawny), Colheita and others. The British especially appreciate red, dry and very seasoned ports. In Britain, the tradition is still preserved to uncork a bottle of wine from the crop of his birth year on the day of majority of a young man. But in Portugal itself, the so-called port verde is very much appreciated. It can be both red and light drinks. "Verde" (green) they are called because the berries for wine are harvested unripe. This gives the drinks a freshness and a little sparkle, like champagne.

Porto Ruby

The name of the wine speaks for itself. It is not only red, but dark ruby. This port wine has a bright grape flavor with spicy peppery notes. Aroma is fresh, fruity. Ruby is the cheapest of all red port categories. It is aged in oak barrels for only a few months. However, this lowest category of port wine has its own "vintage" version - "Fine Old Ruby". It is an assemblage, that is, a skillfully selected mixture of ruby wine from different vintages. This port is aged in barrels for two to four years. But powerful fruity characterwine still remains, only slightly saturated with oak notes. The fortified wine "Porto Ruby Reserve" is also of interest. It is of higher quality than regular Ruby. The price for wine of this category in the producing country is more than democratic - from two to ten euros. Even after paying import duties in Russian alcohol shops, the cost of port does not exceed 15 Є.

Tony and his noble brethren

From red grape varieties, blends are produced that are stored in barrels for at least two years. From long contact with the tree, the color of the drink turns cognac, and nutty notes appear in the taste. Ordinary "Tony" is issued without indication of age. The labels of the best amber ports indicate the vintage of the oldest wine in the blend. But the youngest blend ingredient must be at least four years old. Sometimes already in the early stages of maturation, "Tony" reveals good qualities. Then the specialist marks the barrel with the inscription "koleita" (harvest). And then such porto wine ripens under vigilant supervision up to twenty years. Bottled, the drink no longer has the potential. Coleita ports come in both red and white. If you see the inscription Colheita on the label, know that the grapes for the drink ripened in good years.

Porto Vintage

This is the highest category. The must spends two to four years in oak barrels. When it is bottled, the wine retains its development potential. Over time, it changes color fromdark ruby to golden brown, and its taste becomes more and more refined. During the first five years, it can be served with desserts. Then port wine acquires tart notes of pomegranate. Another highest category is “Single Quinta Vintage”. Grapes for a drink could ripen in different years, but only within the same farm (quinta means "farm"). The abbreviation LBV stands for "Late Batteled Vintage". The harvest of one year ripens in a barrel for a long time, after which it is bottled. The taste of this wine is more complex, thick and slightly spicy. In a word, if you see the inscription “Vintage” or “LBV” on the label, know that this is an exceptionally good port. The price per bottle in Portugal ranges from 40 to 100 euros. Port wine can be drunk and enjoyed… or it can be regarded as a good investment. Indeed, in ten years, the price of it will only increase.

Which firm to choose

Ever since the 18th century, the British began to produce port wine. Even now, in the suburbs of Vila Nova de Gaia, the signs of Warre's, Cockburn's, Dow's, Graham's, Taylor's ripple. And these are manufacturers worthy of all respect. It is believed that the British are best at making Ruby and Vintage. If you want to buy red wine "Porto Toni" and similar categories, then pay attention to local producers - Calem, Fonseca, Ferreira. However, the Portuguese company Champalimaud also makes wonderful vintage ports.

How to serve and drink

White and dry varieties are served chilled onaperitif. Ruby is served at room temperature with desserts. It is advisable to drink porto liqueur wine without snacks in order to savor all the nuances of taste and aroma. However, the British use it with dessert noble cheeses. There is a special glass for port wine. It is similar in shape to wine, but slightly smaller.