PORTO: VINO LIQUOROSO

Porto is the most famous fortified wine in the world and the symbol of Portugal, particularly the city of Porto, from which it takes its name. In this section of our wine shop, you will find the best Ports of all types. The history of this Portuguese wine is ancient, dating back to the 1600s, and owes its success to English merchants, who were always on the lookout for wines to import into their homeland and which would be suitable for long sea voyages.

The history of this Portuguese wine is ancient, dating back to the 17th century, and owes its success to English merchants, who were always on the lookout for wines to import to their homeland and who, in order to preserve the wine during transport by ship, decided to add brandy to it. Port wine originates in the Douro Valley and in ancient times, around the second half of the 17th century, it was transported on characteristic boats, called rabelos, along the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia, near Oporto, where it was left to mature before being shipped to England. This is why many Port producers are still British today.

This practice continued until 1985, when new production regulations allowed small producers to age and bottle Port directly in the Douro, while the old boats have now been replaced by refrigerated tankers. Port wine is made from vineyards cultivated on rocky terraces with almost no water, which stretch along the Douro River, from the city of Porto for 100 km to the east. The Ribera do Douro wine region is divided into three main areas: Baixo Corgo, which is closer to the sea and rainy; Cima Corgo, which is higher than the previous one but warmer and less rainy; and the last, Douro Superior, almost on the border with Spain, a drier and very hot area where more commercial wines are produced, thanks to a flatter terrain that is easily accessible for mechanized work in the vineyard.

Red Port is produced from grapes typical of the Ribera do Douro, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Bastardo, Tinta Cao, and Tempranillo. For white port, which is less common than red, Moscatel, Viosinho, Malvasia, Donzelinho, Esgana Cao, and Branco are used. During the winemaking process, fermentation is stopped by adding local wine brandy at 77 degrees, so that the yeasts die and, instead of transforming the sugars into alcohol, they make room for sweetness. From this point onwards, the wine is left to rest for a period of time in large wooden barrels, or for some types of Port in much smaller barrels, to allow it to mature slowly and preserve its acidity. The barrels used are called pipas and are transferred to Villa Nova de Gaia in the spring. Here, the wine is aged for a period ranging from 3 to 50 years, and the final product has an alcohol content of 19/20 degrees.

It is common practice for Port to blend wines from different vintages and vineyards, with the exception of certain types such as Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port, Colheita, and Vintage Port, which are made from grapes from a single harvest. There are many types of Port, and two macro categories: Tawny, garnet-red wines from different vintages, which are aged first in barrels, then in barriques, and all the others, which are aged only in large barrels. The types are: White Port (a young, fruity wine produced exclusively from white grapes and aged in large oak barrels of over 20,000 liters), Rosé (a light, fruity rosé, which only recently came onto the market in 2008), Ruby (reds aged in large barrels, very fruity, with an intense ruby color, a red fruit flavor, and the characteristics of young wines), Reserva (a Ruby that stands out for its excellent quality), Late Bottled Vintage (LBV, a Ruby produced from a single vintage but destined to spend more time in the barrel than classic Ruby, with an aging period of 4 or 5 years), Single Quinta (from a single vineyard), Crusted (very intense, structured Port, skillfully blended with other vintages by the cellar master, aged for 3 years in large barrels and for the remaining 3-4 years in the bottle), Vintage (the maximum expression of a single vintage, capable of aging for up to 100 years and produced only in exceptional vintages), Colheita (a Tawny Port from a single vintage that is aged for 7 years). In general, barrel aging can last up to a maximum of 50 years, while bottle aging can last even longer than 60 years.

The organoleptic characteristics of Port depend on the type: in general, these are sweet wines that nevertheless maintain a good freshness and, given their high alcohol content, have a remarkable structure. It is versatile in pairings and perfect with desserts. For example, Ruby and Tawny are ideal when accompanied by chocolate in the cold months; it goes very well with mature, strongly structured cheeses or blue cheeses, but is at its best with dark chocolate or cocoa desserts. The more structured ones, on the other hand, are best appreciated as meditation wines .

Specifically, red port goes well with meat dishes, ham, and pâté, while white port, which is aged in steel for up to 18 months and is more delicate and dry, is perfect for sipping as an aperitif. Cookies and dry pastries are the ideal accompaniments to sweet white port. Discover the best Port wine among all those we have selected for you in this collection.