Douro

The English, and their trade wars with the French, played a major part in the development of what is arguably the best-known Portuguese wine. In the 17th century, the importation of French wines to England was banned for a time, and was then subject to high import duties. This lead to a bottleneck of wine supplies in England, and sent English wine merchants to Portugal. In 1678, a wine merchant from Liverpool sent his two sons to Viano do Castello, close to the city of Porto, to buy wine. In Lamego they visited an abbey, at which the abbot served them a wine that really excited them. The abbot revealed to them the secret as to why this wine was so pleasantly soft and sweet, namely that it was fortified with brandy during fermentation. Thereupon the two bought the entire stock of this wine and shipped it to England. Thus began the triumphal march of port wine. The English were enthusiastic about what was then called „red Portugal” and enjoyed it in copious quantities to warm themselves in the cold winters. At that stage, port was produced almost exclusively for export to England, and even today it is sometimes still called „Englishmen’s Wine”. At that time it was common practice to add some elderberry juicy for colour. Beginning in the early 18th century, English, german and Dutch families settled in Porto in order to market port wine. The families included many names that are still important in the trade today, such as Cockburn, Croft, Ferreira, Fonseca, Niepoort, Sandeman, Taylor´s as well as Dow, Graham and Warre, all later taken over by Symington.

The English established a virtual monopoly with regard to the marketing of port. Under the prime minister of the time, Marquis de Pombal (1699-1782), who owned a wine estate in what is today the DOC region Carcavelos, the borders of the Duoro region were defined in 1756, in order to protect the authenticity of port wine. Only the best vineyards were included in the classification. Of the total land area of some 250.000 hectares, only around an eighth is considered to be suitable for planting with port vine varieties. Together with Chianti, the region is thus one of the oldest legally defined wine-growing regions in the world. Pombal also set up further regulations designed to protect port wine. He founded the Royal Oporto Wine Company in an effort to break the English monopoly on the market. In addition, he prohibited the use of dung as fertiliser, and also the addition of elderberry juice. These measures reduced the yield, but improved quality.

The defined borders applied exclusively to port wine for more than two centuries. The Portuguese name „Vinho do Porto” was given with reference to the city of Porto on the lower Douro River. Only in 1979 was the DOC classification extended to „normal” table wines, i.e. unfortified red and white wines (see under Douro). However, the best soils remain reserved for port wine, these are mainly the particularly suitable slate soils on the mostly terraced slopes. The region is located in northwestern Portugal, and includes the vallies of the Duoro River, as well as of its tributaries, as far as the Spanish border. There are three officially defined sub-zones. The „Baixa Corgo” zone (lower Corgo) in the west includes the area to the north of the Douro between Barqueiros and the west bank of the Corgo, and south of the Douro as far as Armamar. This is the coolest zone, with the highest rainfall, producing lighter wines. The largest zone is „Cima Corgo” (upper Corgo) located north and south of the Douro between Baixa Corgo in the west and Cachão da Valeira in the east. This area is centred on the town of Pinhão, and is considered to be the best, it is here that most of the major port houses have their quintas (wine estates). The„Douro Superior” zone lies to the east, and stretches as far as the Spanish border in the north. This is the smallest zone, it has the lowest rainfall, with pioneering land not yet fully cultivated.

There are around 30.000 wine-growers working the total area of around 33.000 hectares, with some 80.000 vineyards classified in an extremely complex system. Numerous criteria such as location, slope (the steeper, the better) exposure to the sun, altitude above sea level, microclimate, trellising sytsem, grape variety, plant density, general condition of the vineyard, age of vines, soil type (slate, granite, various), stone content of the soil and yield are evaluated. This classification is carried out in six categories, from A (1.200 points and more) to F (399 points and less). This classification also determines the permitted yield that the estate or quinta is permitted to produce. The higher the rating, the higher is the price paid for the grapes. More than 80 grape varieties are planted in the Duoro region, of these around half are permitted for use in the production of port wine. These are again sub-divided into three categories: recommended, permitted and tolerated. Each year, the „Instituto do Vinho do Porto” determines what quantity of grapes may be processed for port wine. Around 40% of the grapes are used fort he production of port wine.

Of the approximately 80 grape varieties grown in the Duoro region, around half are recommended. The most important red variety for the production of port is Touriga Nacional, other important red varieties are Tinta Amarela (Trincadeira Preta), Tinta Barocca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Francesa. The most important white varieties are Encruzado, Esgana Cão, Folgosão and Gouveio (Verdelho). The grapes are painstakingly picked by hand, and then transported in baskets to the wine estates. The grape skins, which contain tannins and provide colour, are an essential part of port wine. However, as the wine undergoes only a short fermentation period, the extraction of tannins and colour is encouraged by either stamping the mash with wooden pestles (macaos) or traditionally on a large scale by stamping the mash with the feet in lagares, or wooden troughs. The fermentation of the must is stopped when it is at most half-fermented by the addition of aguardente (grape spirits) – in contrast to sherry, where the wine is only fortified once fermentation has been completed. The grape spirits have a strength of 77% alcohol by volume, and is colourless and tasteless, adding nothing to the taste or smell of the wine. The spirit is distilled either from wines from southern Portugal, or from excess wines produced in the Duoro region itself. On average, 110 litres of grape spirit are added to 440 litres of wine (i.e. one quarter), thus resulting in the content of 550 litres in a pipe, the traditional barrel size used in the Duoro region.

The best port wines have an alcohol content of between 19 and 22% vol, and a residual sugar content of 40 to 60 g/l. At this stage a decision must be taken as to which of the many styles of port wine is to be produced. Up until 1986, all port wines had to be matured and bottled in the suburb of Vila Nova de Gaia on the left bank of the Duoro River, opposite the city of Porto, in the huge lodges, or warehouses located there. Today, maturation and bottling may also be carried out at the quintas. Tastings are then conducted to divide the tasting samples into groups, and the future port wine type is determined. The major part of total production is introduced into a blending process intended to ensure constant quality. An important criterion is the number of years the port will mature in bottle once it has completed its maturation in barrel. Sometimes a distinction is drawn between a ”British port wine style”, with dark, sweet and fruity wines (Vintage Port), as well as a „Portuguese port wine style” with elegant, soft wines (Tawny). The most important types of port wine are:

Vintage Port: The so-called vintage port ist he best port from a particularly good, even great vintage. This occurs, at best, about three times in a decade, and this type accounts for only one per cent of total production. Each producer decides individually whether to declare and produce a vintage or not, and not all producers will produce a vintage port in the same year. This wine is matured reductively, and made from a single vintage. It is normally matured in barrels for two to three years, and is then bottled. These wines reach their peak only after at least 20, 30 and even more years in bottle, and then provide an incomparable oiliness, aroma, body and delicacy. However, as these wines are released for sale immediately after bottling, the responsibility for full enjoyment lies with the consumer (see also port tongs). A noticeable deposit of tannins and pigments is laid down in the bottle in the form of a crust during bottle maturation, and for this reason the wine must be decanted before drinking.

Colheita: The name is derived from the Portuguese word for „picking” or „harvest”, and in an extended sense also includes the concept of „vintage”. In other words, this is a vintage port. It is matured in barrel for a minimum of eight years, but frequently also much longer (10 years and more). The bottling date is stated on the label. In contrast to a vintage port, it is ready for immediate consumption. In fact, the great vintages of the last century were really colheita wines, as they were only bottled after much longer barrel maturation than is common today. Together with vintage port, the colheita is one of the best types in terms of quality.

Single Quinta Vintage Port: The term „Single Quinta” refers to the fact that this port was grown on a single wine estate. These are wines from good but not outstanding vintages, so-called off vintages, which are produced by individual quintas in the vintage style. The wine is matured in barrel for two to three years, and is not filtered before bottling. For this reason it will form a deposit like a vintage port. The wines are ready for immediate consumption, as they arestill matured in bottle on the estate before release.

LBV (Late Bottled Vintage): A less expensive version of vintage port, it is matured in barrel and/or tank for a minimum of two years, but more ususally for up to six years. The name refers to the fact that, compared to real vintage port, this wine is bottled at a later stage. Both the vintage and the bottling date are stated on the label. The wine is deep red to black, but slightly lighter than its big brother, it is full-bodied and fruity. It will generally not throw a deposit – where there is one, this will generally be stated on the label as being ”traditional”. This wine is ready for immediate consumption, but will generally develop in bottle for five or six years.

Vintage Character (also called Vintage Reserve): a blackish-red, tannic and fruity style, which is not quite up to the quality of a vintage port. However, the designation is confusing, as the wines are ususally a blend of several different vintages. It is similar to a Ruby, but undergoes longer maturation in barrel, from four to five years. The wine is filtered before bottling. However, it can develop further in bottle, and may form a crust in the bottle. For this reason, it is also sometimes unofficially known as „Crusted” or „Crusted Port”.

Tawny: Fairly general term used for a type of wine matured in barrel, usually for up to three years. If matured for an extended period of time, it develops a tawny colour, from which it takes the name, which can vary from amber to mahogony. This colour, which differs from that of all other port styles, which tend to be in the red-black range, is often attributable to the use of lighter wines in ist production, which do not have the intense colour of other styles, and also sometimes because white varieties may be blended into it. It is always a blend of different vintages. Occasionally, the blend may contain small portions of 20 to 40 year-old ports. The older wines of this style are known as „Fine Tawny” resp. „Fine Old Tawny” or „Aged Tawny”. Previously, they were also marketed as „Dated Port”. The age stated on the label (10, 20, 30 years and more) is an average age.

Ruby: This is one of the most basic and least expensive styles of port, and is named for its colour. The wine has a deep ruby colour and is sweet and fruity. It is blended from several recent vintages, and matured in either oak barrels, stainless steel tanks or concrete bins for two to three years. The wine is filtered before bottling. Ruby port can be drunk immediately on release. This style accounts for the largest part of total production.

White Port: this type of port is made from white varieties. The method of production is similar, but skin contact is much shorter, or is left out totally. The wine is matured for two to three years, usually in tank, and is made in various versions from dry to sweet. It has a lower alcohol content compared to other ports, usually around 15% vol. Wines matured in oak barrels develop a yellow-gold colour and a nutty taste. White port accounts for only 15% of total production.

Well-known producers, some of which also produce table wines under the DOC Douro, resp. brands, include: Barros, Bright Brothers, Burmester, Churchill, Cockburn, Croft, Ferreira, Fonseca, Lemos & Van Zeller, Martinez, Messias, Morgan, Niepoort, Offley, Osborne, Quinta da Carvalhosa, Quinta de la Rosa, Quinta do Côtto, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Passadouro, Quinta do Vale da Raposa, Quinta do Vale Meão, Ramos Pinto (gehört Roederer), Real Companhia Velha, Sandeman, Symington (Dow, Gould Campbell, Graham, Quarles Harris, Quinta do Vesuvio, Smith Woodhouse, Warre), Taylor´s, V. Leite de Faria.