Stopover in Oporto - the City of Port Wine

For a long time landlocked, this austere mid-mountain region became an important source of full-bodied red wines for English merchants in the 17th century.

The technique of fortification is said to have been inspired to one of them in 1698 by an abbot from Lamego, an ancient village on the left bank of the Douro. It consists of interrupting the fermentation process by adding grape based spirit at 77% abv, which makes it possible to preserve some of the natural sugar in the wine. From the 18th century onwards, port wine became the fortified, sweet red wine we know today.

Its appellation area was one of the first to be delimited (1756). The different methods of production determine the two main families of Port wine: Tawny (oxidative ageing) and Ruby.

There are several types of Port:

• - White: Made from white grapes. Non-vintage wines that are generally aged less than 3 years before bottling. Usually golden in colour with ripe stone fruit, honey and nut aromas. From off-dry to sweet. Ready to drink, doesn't benefit from further bottle ageing.
• - Rosé: Similar to Ruby Port, but lighter in colour.
• - Ruby: Inexpensive, deeply coloured, young, non-vintage, sweet and full-bodied wine.
• Generally aged less than 3 years before bottling. Ready to drink, doesn't benefit from further bottle ageing.
  
• - Reserve Ruby: A blend of higher quality wine from one or more vintages. Generally aged 4 to 6 years before bottling. Ready to drink, doesn't benefit from further bottle ageing.
  
• - Tawny: Paler and browner in colour than ruby. Basic Tawny is generally aged less than 3 years before bottling. Their colour can be adjusted by blending with white Port. Ready to drink, doesn't benefit from further bottle ageing.
  
• - Reserve Tawny: Aged minimum of 7 years in wood. Complex and smooth blend of wines from different vintages. Ready to drink, doesn't benefit from further bottle ageing.
  
• - Tawny with an indication of age (10, 20, 30 or 40 years): The age corresponds the average age of the blend. The finest of all Tawny Ports, exceptionally complex and concentrated. Showing aromas of walnuts, coffee and caramel. Ready to drink, doesn't benefit from further bottle ageing.
  
• - Colheita: very rare single vintage Tawny Ports aged minimum of 8 years in wood.
• - Late Bottled Vintage (LBV): A Ruby Port from a single vintage that has been aged between 4 and 6 years before bottling. Two different styles exist. The modern style LBV (most common) wines are fined and filtered before bottling and are ready to drink. They do not need decanting nor benefit from further bottle ageing. You recognise them easily from a stopper cork. The traditional style LBV are unfined and unfiltered and therefore continue to improve in the bottle. Similar in style with Vintage Ports, they require decanting before service. You recognise them from driven cork.
  -Vintage: A Ruby Port from from a single vintage intended for long ageing in the bottle. They are a blend of the finest wines of the producer from and produced only in the best years.
• -Single Quinta Vintage: Similar to Vintage Port, but the grapes must come from a single estate. Sometimes the producer's flagship vineyard.

How long to keep a port wine?

Other Ports than Vintage and traditional style LBV are ready to drink on release. The best Vintage Ports can age for decades.

What about when the bottle is opened?

Ruby, Reserve Ruby and LBV can last up to 4 to 6 weeks open if stored in cool and dark conditions.

Tawny Ports can last up to 2 to 3 months depending of the quality.

Vintage Port must be drunk in 2 to 3 days after opening.

Food and wine pairing

White and Rosé Port: Aperitif

LBV, Vintage Port: Game meat in sauce, dark chocolate desserts and blue-cheese

Tawny 10 or 20 year old Port: Tiramisu, nougatine, matured pressed cheeses, such as cantal, beaufort, comté