What is port? In the post-Soviet space, it is associated with poor quality wine, but with a high alcohol content. But real port has nothing to do with what they sell in tetrapacks for nothing. For some reason, the German name of this drink has taken root in Russia. But vinho do Porto, or “Vinho do Porto” is a wholly-owned Portuguese. And not of low, but of noble origin. In this article we will tell an interesting story about the drink. We will describe what high-quality ports are. We will also mention how to serve and drink Porto wine. Not sure 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 is no secret that for the wine is important not so much the variety of vines as the soil and the climate where it grows. Although there is an opinion that port was “born on the road”, he still has a terroir. This is the valley of the Douro River. You should know that this waterway also flows through Spain, namely the 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 shales. Douro breaks its channel between steep, almost steep hills, on the narrow terraces of which vineyards are broken. Very hot dry summers and frosty snowy winters create specific conditions suitable for the ripening of not all varieties of vines. The best appellation for Porto wine is the area between the villages of São João da Pesqueira and Regua. It produces crops for a drink that has the category Região Demarcada do Douro - in other words, “a name controlled by descent 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?
An interesting story 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 their acreage and introduced new technologies in the production of drinks. However, the Italian varieties of vines did not withstand the microclimate of 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, the Duke of Burgundy, Henry the Second, married the daughters of King Castile and Leon. In a dowry to Princess Alfonso Six, he transferred the region to Portucale. Henry the Second immediately began to develop a new patrimony and ordered the transportation of the local varieties 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 port. Porto appeared much later. A medieval drink from the Douro Valley was called Vigne de Lamejo. How did he turn into port?
Born of mars
Usually wars give rise only to death and destruction. But it was the tensions 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 Misty Albion allowed me to make only beer and whiskey. It was then that the attention of the British turned to Portuguese wine. "Porto" is first found in customs documents of 1678 as a drink that arrived by sea from this city. But the British tried Vigne de Lamejo much earlier. Since 1373, there was an agreement that the Portuguese would pay for barrels of cod off the coast of Britain with wine barrels. But in the 17th century, the British appreciated the aroma and, most importantly, the strength of the new drink. The alcohol content in port ranged from 17.5 to 21 percent. Why so many? After all, in ordinary wine 11-13 degrees? This is a characteristic feature of port.
Ancient production technology
In the middle reaches of the Douro, the crops were harvested, the berries were crushed and the wort was allowed to ferment. Then there was the transportation of young, not quite yet ripened wine in Porto. In this city he was loaded onto ships to deliver 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 transportation losses, winemakers in Porto began to add brandy to the must. An increased overall degree stabilized the drink and did not allow the development of vinegar fermentation. Then adding brandy to the fermenting wort became an integral part of port wine production technology. An increased degree gave cognac notes to the drink, which was exported. And the British really liked it. But this was not the port that we know today.
Technology change
In the wake of increased demand, unscrupulous winemakers began to add elderberry and sugar to low-quality pale and sour drinks. This undermined the British confidence in port. The price for it fell, because the market was oversaturated. The good name of port was saved by the Marquis and Portuguese Prime Minister Sebastian José de Pompalu. In 1756, he introduced a strict framework for the production of a drink. So, crops for him could be harvested only in the Douro River Valley in three subregions: Douro Superior, Sima Korgu and Baishu Korgu. Grade requirements have also been tightened. 165 grape varieties are grown in the Douro Valley. But only 87 of them are allowed for port, and 29 are considered the best. The leader, as before, is Toriga Nacional, as well as the well-adapted burgundy vine of Toriga Franca. Of the other red varieties, Tinta Rohrish, Kau and Barroca add to Porto's true port. For a light drink using berries Viosinho, Malvasia Fina, Goveevo and Doncelinho. Later brandy (or cognac spirits) began to be added to wine at the stage of its fermentation.
How is the production going now?
It seems that port can be done anywhere. After all, this is not so much wine as technology that can be repeated in isolation from the terroir. To mix cognac spirits in the fermented wort - and, voila, port is ready. Porto, however, is a joint product born of soils, a unique microclimate, and varieties of vines. And they hardly even tried to repeat the old technology of making the 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 fixing of wine by adding grape alcohol with a strength of 77 degrees. Forced interruption of fermentation occurs just at a time when about half of the sugars have already turned into alcohol. And in this process, the main trick is to extract maximum color, aromas and tannins from the wort 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 aging lasts a whole winter. During this time, a growing wort is poured from one oak barrel to another in order to separate the sediment. Experienced technologists determine the qualities of the future port and categorize it. The most successful parties - the so-called "exceptionally good harvest of the year" - fall into the vintage porto class. Barrels are transported to the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, where the headquarters of the main producers of port are concentrated. The remaining drinks are further classified. They are categorized as “Late Bottling,” “Ruby,” “Tawny,” Colheita, and others. The British especially appreciate the red, dry and very seasoned port. In Britain, there is still a tradition to uncork a bottle of wine from his year of birth on the day of adulthood. But in Portugal itself, the so-called porto verde is very much appreciated. It can be both red and light drinks. “Verde” (green) they are called because the berries for wine are picked unripe. This gives the drinks freshness and a little fizz, like champagne.
Porto Porty Ruby
The name of the wine speaks for itself. It is not only red, but dark ruby. This port has a bright grape flavor with pungent pepper notes. The 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 has its own “vintage” version - Fine Old Ruby. It is an assembly, that is, an expertly selected mixture of ruby wines of different crops. Such port wine is aged in barrels for two to four years. But the powerful fruity character of the wine 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 country of origin is more than democratic - from two to ten euros. Even after payment of import duties in Russian alcohol shops, the cost of port does not exceed 15 Є.
Tony and his noble brothers
Red grape varieties produce blends that are stored in barrels for at least two years. From a long contact with the tree, the color of the drink is cognac, and nutty notes appear in the taste. Ordinary "Tony" is issued without indicating age. The labels of the best amber ports indicate the harvest of the oldest wine in the assembly. But the youngest ingredient in the blend should be at least four years old. Sometimes, in the early stages of maturation, Toni reveals good qualities. Then the specialist marks the barrel with the inscription “coleit” (crop). And then such porto wine matures under the watchful eye of up to twenty years. Bottled, the drink no longer has the potential. Port Coleit comes in both red and white. If you see Colheita on the label, be aware that grapes for a drink have ripened in successful years.
Porto Porto Vintage
This is the highest category. In oak barrels, the wort spends from two to four years. When it is bottled, wine retains its development potential. Over time, it changes color from dark ruby to golden brown, and its taste is becoming more sophisticated. During the first five years it can be served with desserts. Then the port gets tart notes of pomegranate. Another top category is Quinta Vintage's Single. Grapes for a drink could ripen in different years, but exclusively within the same farm (quinta means "farm"). The abbreviation LBV stands for Late Butteled Vintage. A crop 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, you should know: this is an exceptionally good port. The price for a bottle in Portugal ranges from 40 to 100 euros. You can drink port and have fun ... or treat it as a good investment. Indeed, after a decade, the price of it will only increase.
Which company to choose
Since the 18th century, the British began to engage in the production of port. And now, in the suburbs of Vila Nova de Gaia, it is rippling from the signage of Warre's, Cockburn's, Dow's, Graham's, Taylor's. And these are manufacturers worthy of all respect. It is believed that the British are best at doing Ruby and Vintage. If you want to buy Porto Toni red wine 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 for an aperitif. Ruby serves room temperature to desserts. It is advisable to drink Porto liquor without a snack 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. In shape, it looks like a wine, but a little less.