What is port wine ?

A little history

Portugal has been a wine country since ancient times. If we refer to the writings of the historian and geographer Strabon, 200 years BC, wine was already produced and drunk in this geographical area. The Douro Valley is officially one of the first vineyards in the European zone.

In the 2nd century BC, the Romans settled in the region for more than half a century. Like always, they grew vines along a river : the Douro. Today, this river is still known since it produces Porto in its surroundings. The birth of the Kingdom of Portugal in 1139 is a symbol of unprecedented prosperity through wine exports.

In 1386, UK and Portugal sign Windsor Treaty that brings the two countries closer together through political agreements, military and especially commercial. Both countries are committed to guaranteeing equal rights to their respective merchants, which greatly enhances trade. This is how many English merchants settled in Portugal. The most memorable exchange - and that interests us here - is indeed that of Portuguese wine exported to the British Isles in exchange for salted cod called bacalhau in Portugal.

In 1654, a new trade treaty between the UK and Portugal creates new business opportunities for English merchants living in Portugal. They get special privileges and preferential customs duties. It should be noted that the trading city is not yet Porto at the time, but Viana do Castelo whose location makes it a naturally safe port.

In 1667, Colbert, then Prime Minister of King Louis XIV, puts an embargo on English products. Charles II of England then decides to stop the importation of French wines. The British then turned to their long-time military ally : Portugal, whose hinterland produces appreciated red wines. To allow the wine to withstand the long shipping, a little bit of brandy was added before the trip.

Historical snub : the French, who pushed the English to consume Portuguese wine, now drink three times more Port than them !

What is a Port wine ?

Port wine is a fortified wine. It is necessary to understand by this that a mutating operation has been carried out. That is, adding alcohol or brandy to the wine during fermentation to preserve residual sugar to obtain a supple and opulent wine.. For many wine lovers, Vintage Porto is a reference among the well known wines, like Bordeaux or Burgundy wines.

The muting of Port wine has not become a reference technique without a crash. Widely used in the years 1840, mutage does not become systematic until ten years later. His most fervent opponent was Baron Forrester, emblematic figure of Port wine and first designer of a detailed geographical map of its production region : the Douro Valley. Until 1862, the Baron waged a fierce war against the mutage. This battle ends when he drowned in the rapids of Cachão da Valeira. As he comes home from a lunch at Quinta de Vargellas with Dona Antónia Ferreira, founder of the house of Porto Ferreira, and Baroness Fladgate, wife of John Fladgate, Baron de Roêda, his boat is wrecked. Passengers are thrown into flowing water after the boat hits a rock. The ladies survived thanks to their crinoline dresses serving as lifebuoys. Forrester will never be found. History will not tell us if his determination could have overcome the opposition of his colleagues. Without this shipwreck, Port wine might never have become the great mutated wine as it is today.

Port wine is fascinating in complexity and diversity of styles. Each style has its own characteristics so, that a whole meal can be paired with Ports.

Port is not who wants

You must not fall for it, Port takes its name from the eponymous city where the Douro flows into the ocean, but is not produced there. The vineyards are much further in the mountainous regions of the Douro ; one of the first wine regions recognized by the government from 1756. The majority of Port wines are already vinified when they reach the coast of Porto, however, many are aging in the suburbs of the town of Vila Nova de Gaia.

If you have a Jean-Michel Knows-Everything in your surrounding, your dear Beaux-Vins is there to help you blow your nose easily ! Ask him to name the grape varieties authorized to produce Port. "Why ? " will you ask me ; simply because there is 80 , almost all native grape varieties that may be allowed. The 6 main grape varieties are : Touriga Nacional, tinta Roriz also called Tempranillo, Tinta Barroca, Cao Tinta, Touriga Francesca and Tinta Amarela.

As always when something is appreciated, it is copied. Many countries have embarked on the production of sweet wines in the style of Port and list on the label the word "Port". It is rare to find one arriving at the ankle of a real Port produced in Portugal.

Port, a plural wine

All Ports are sweet, and most of them are red. However, you have to understand its plurality in order to choose it well. There are an infinite number of styles depending on the quality of the wine used, the duration of maturation in wooden barrels and the use of one or more vintages. In 1880, the writer Henry Vizetelly, makes the following remark : "It is said that there are as many styles of Port wine as there are ribbon colours in a haberdashery. "

The diversity of styles of Port wines is mainly due to the diversity of aging methods. Thanks to its great aging capacity, due, among other things, to the mutage, Port can improve in barrels, in vat or even bottled beyond your wildest dreams. The time and type of aging will influence the taste of your Port.

By gaining maturity, Port is rounding up. Intense fruitiness and tannic firmness of its youth, it evolves towards this velvety character, flexible and subtle brought by time. Parallel, the wine gradually loses its deep red color, and turns to a delicately amber hue, called "tawny" (Fawn color). A Port wine matured in oak will evolve more quickly than a Port trapped in a bottle. In the same way, a small-capacity cask will age faster than in high-capacity vat.

The different types of Port

Oxidative Ports

Oxidative ports are ports that have evolved in contact with the air and are therefore oxidized. Under the influence of oxygen, the color will change from dark red to reddish as they ripen. These are Ports that can be kept long after they have been opened.

White Port

The first of the Ports I wanted to tell you about is not red, but made from traditional white grape varieties. Depending on whether it's sweet or dry, you find six variants of white ports depending on the amount of residual sugars : extra-dry, dry, half-dry, half-sweet, sweet and Lagrima. Sweet whites with the same dose of sugar as Red Ports, say "White Porto" de facto classifies it in the category of "sweet". They must be drunk very cold - even close to frozen –.

White Port is generally oxidative, with a long maceration to acquire the compounds necessary for its golden color and aromas. A shorter maceration can be done to keep a pale color and aromatic freshness. It ages more or less time in large vats or wooden casks depending on the category of Port sought : Classic White or White Reserve. The Colheita White or "Mention of Age" ages in smaller barrels where oxidation will play its part.

Taylor's Port Chip Dry, the very first dry white Port ever made, launched in 1934, is one of the best known.

Tawny Port

As for white, Tawny Port is characterized by oxidative aging with traditionally a maceration period of five to seven years. It then passes into small barrels called "pipas", with a capacity ranging from 550 to 600 liters. The smaller the keg, the greater the contact of the wine with the ambient air. Aging time and type of assembly determine the category of the Tawny developed : classic, reserve, Colheita or mention of age.

When it bears an indication of age, it means an average age of the assembled Ports. They age in oak barrels for 10, 20, 30 or even sometimes 40 years. Port Colheita is a port from the harvest of a single year and aged for at least seven years in barrels. It is officially recognized as extraordinary by the "Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto". Tawny type ports, rich and mellow, develop delicious nutty and caramelized aromas, with a beautiful melted oak. The longer the contact with the wood, the more these aromas intensify. Taylor has one of the largest reserves of oak aged Tawny Ports, aged 10, 20, 30 to 40 years, stored in its cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Reductive Ports

The reductive Portos were matured in the absence of oxygen. They are thus sensitive to oxidation and therefore to drink quickly once the bottle is opened..

Ruby Port and Late Bottled Vintage

Red Ports, fruity and full, from relatively short aging in large oak casks. These are the Ruby Port, usually raised for two to three years in vast, Reserve Port, generally more qualitative and aged a little longer, and the late bottle vintage Port (LBV) who stays between four and six years in vast. If they express different degrees of complexity and refinement, they have in common the same sustained youthful red colour and the same fruity and intense cherry, wild blackberries and blackcurrants aromas.

The Vintage Character Port

This Port is a real trap for neophytes, because we think by name that it is vintage. However, this is not the case. It tends to offer the character of these. It is actually a blend of several very good quality Ruby Ports from several vintages that are aged in barrels for four years.. The resulting wine is full-bodied, rich and ready to drink. Because things are never complicated enough ; some estates do not mention "Vintage Port", but prefers names like Six Grapes for Graham or Bin 27 for Fonseca.

Vintage Port

Vintage Port is, as indicated by his name, from a single vintage and several of the best vineyards. It is bottled in the first two years to age. It is during this period that it acquires its tannic and rich character. You have to know how to be patient with this Porto since you have to wait until its 20th birthday to start enjoying it. This wine has to be kept and requires decanting and filtering for several hours in order to fully enjoy it.

Colheita Port

Single Quinta Vintage Port

This Port is a Vintage from a single cellar. They come from good vintages not requisitioned for the production of Vintage Port. Although to be decanted, they can be consumed more quickly than Vintage Ports.

Crusted Port

Originally, Crusted Port was produced during the bottling in England of vintages. The Vintage was transported in barrels before being bottled without filtration. Barrel bottoms, full of deposits, were not used. They were then gathered in a single cask and put to rest for settling. This wine then lost its vintage and was bottled for the pleasure of the cellar staff. Today, the obligation to bottle in Portugal has killed this custom. A handful of houses are trying to maintain this name through assemblages, no vintage, but selected high-quality LBV or Ruby wines that are required to keep two years in the bottle before being put on the market. This is the case with Graham's and Churchill. Apart from the elitist side of these wines, they do not have exceptional organoleptic qualities : we will often prefer traditional LBV, unfiltered.

Serve well and taste your Port

A good Port should be handled with care and when you uncork it, it is important not to shake it to leave the dregs at the bottom of the bottle. Traditionally, it is served in tulip crystal glasses that are only two-thirds full. Like any wine, a very good opened bottle must be finished in the following days to keep all its character.

The best known pairing is with melon, but Port also goes perfectly with blue cheese such as Roquefort. It also works very well with apple or chocolate desserts like brownie. You can simply enjoy it as an aperitif with a few ice cubes or a good cigar.

Why don't you try a cocktail with Port ?

There are many cocktails made with Port. It works well with cognac or fruit liqueurs. The most famous cocktail is certainly the Porto Flip. You just have to mix 5 cl of port, 1 cl of cognac, 1 egg yolk and a teaspoon of sugar. You can season it with a pinch of nutmeg to fully enjoy it.

You can also perform the Salazar, which owes its name to the Portuguese dictator who spilled a lot of blood hence the red color of the cocktail. It is realized with 8 cl of red Port, 2 cl of vodka, 2 cl of tequila and 1 cl of blackcurrant cream.

There are as many varieties of Port as there are styles of wine, it's up to you to find yours !

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin