🍷 Port

Port is a sweet fortified wine from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. The name comes from the city of Porto, from which the wine was shipped. Today only wine from this region can officially be called port.

First the grapes ferment as for ordinary red wine. Then grape spirit is added to the fermenting must. It kills the yeast and stops fermentation, so part of the sugar stays in the wine. This is fortification. The final strength is usually 19–22 percent. The wine is aged in casks or vats and then bottled.

The main kinds are ruby (young, red and fruity), tawny (long aged in casks, amber-brown and nutty), LBV, vintage port (from the best years and maturing in bottle for decades), crusted and garrafeira. White and rosé ports also exist. Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca are among the main grapes, and others go into the blend.

Portugal and England traded port, and the Methuen Treaty of 1703 made its export easier. The home of the wine is the Upper Douro. It is drunk in small portions.