1/1/2023 0 Comments Port wines![]() ![]() With a flat bottom, no keel, and a long and heavy oar, these unwieldy boats are extremely difficult to control under sail. The unusual barcos rabelos, emblazoned with their company names and logos, race upstream along the Duoro River – a nod to the route these boats once took to deliver the wine from the vineyards to the port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. port, also called Porto, specifically, a sweet, fortified, usually red wine of considerable renown from the Douro region of northern Portugal, named for the. Many of these houses participate in an annual sailing race in the sleepy Portuguese town of Oporto (a three-hour drive from Four Seasons Lisbon) during the annual festival of São João (St John). Members of the Taylor, Churchill and Graham families are still involved in the business today. The continuing English influence can be seen today in the prominence of brands such as Graham’s, Taylors, Churchill’s, Cockburn’s and Croft, all named for English founders, many dating back to the early 18 th century. Port has been produced since the late 17 th century, and became popular in England when constant wars with the French cut off access to Bordeaux. White port is similar to ruby but is made from white grapes.Ruby port, a blend of young vintages, is fresh and fruity but lacks the complexity of older versions.Late bottled vintage (LBV) port, a single-vintage port bottled after four to six years in wood, offers some of the character of vintage port at a more modest price.Tawny port, long aged but in wood rather than the bottle, has a nutty, mellow character.Crusted port is a blend of different vintages, bottled young enough so it throws a sediment, like vintage port.Vintage port is made in tiny quantities in only the best years and bottled after two years in 550-litre (145-gallon) traditional oak barrels called “pipes.” It then ages for 20, 30, even 50 years.The resulting wine is both stronger and sweeter than traditional table wine, and comes in several varietals: But if you purchase a product through a link in this article, we may receive a portion of sales.Port’s longstanding popularity as an after-dinner drink can be credited to its fortification: About halfway through the fermentation process, a dose of a neutral grape spirit known as aguardiente is added to the wine, both fortifying it and halting the fermentation before all the sugar has been converted to alcohol. We only include products that have been independently selected by Fatherly’s editorial team. ![]() Here, with the help of some beverage experts, are a few excellent bottles of Port wine - and one bottle Madeira, a close Port cousin - to seek out. However you choose to enjoy it, Port is a noble drink with a rich history that deserves a place in your holiday repertoire. Give it as a host gift, and you’ll not only stand out from the crowd, but you’ll be giving a bottle that will likely last into 2022. Port wine is best enjoyed in a small, delicate glass, with a little dark chocolate or roasted nuts and cheeses - and above all, it is to be savored rather than swilled. So how did a fortified wine for the Douro Valley in Portugal become an English obsession? During their wars with France in the early 1700s, the British were forced to forgo claret from Bordeaux, and as a replacement started importing a sweet red wine from the town of Oporto (from whence Port gets its name), which was stabilized with the addition of brandy to keep it from spoiling in transit. Port wine is synonymous with the holidays in England - the perfect fireside sipper after a soul-filling roast. ![]()
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