Portugal has long been famous for the production of wines and the cultivation of grapes of various varieties. In addition to reaching the Portuguese in football, this country has earned worldwide recognition as a place for the production of good port. The history of the drink has more than one century, it is famous for its strength and richness of taste.
Contrary to beliefs, good port can easily be distinguished from any other wine drink. Its peculiarity is strong taste, rich color and bright bouquet. Depending on how the port is made, it may differ from different manufacturers. Today, the drink is poured all over the globe, but still Portugal is its homeland. It is there that you can taste the real magnificent and rich taste of port.
Port History
In the gardens of the Iberian Peninsula, people from ancient times grew grapes and made wine. It is known that these regions were famous for winemaking in the 4th – 5th centuries BC. After the arrival of the Greeks and later the Romans, production only flourished.
The bank of the Douro River is the birthplace of port. This drink is made from certain grape varieties, the climatic conditions of Portugal favor the growth of vines and the formation of bunches of berries.
During the heyday of the Portuguese kingdom at the beginning of the second century, export of wines was established, which were appreciated by the countries of the European continent.
Port in its usual performance appeared much later. Beginning in the second half of the 17th century, England and Portugal signed a series of treaties, the result of which was close military and commercial cooperation. The British recognized Portuguese port as good and for many years it has become one of the favorite drinks of the inhabitants of Misty Albion.
After the trade relations with France were suppressed in every possible way by the English crown, the merchants had to look for new suppliers of the drink of the gods. So Portuguese wines fell on the shelves of English stores in their full assortment. Most appreciated by consumers are the strong wines of the Douro Valley, it is here that they still produce good port.
origin of name
The vineyards needed for the production of varieties were in the interior of the country, which made transportation difficult. In order to deliver valuable cargo to England, it was first sent by water down the river to the port city of Porto. So the name of the drink was formed from the phrase Vinho do Porto, that is, “wine from Porto”, but the British in their own way designated the wine as portwein. The first record of the shipment of this type of wine was made in 1678.
Alcohol and port
Port with the taste familiar to modern consumers appeared a little later. During transportation, the wine could lose its properties and deteriorate, so manufacturers added more grape spirit to the container.
In the second half of the 18th century, the sale of port went down sharply, this was due to the increased number of fakes of a noble drink. English consumers began to abandon a poor-quality product. After government intervention in the production and transportation of strong wine, the demand situation has improved significantly. Port has returned the former glory of good, strong wine from grapes. Measures were also introduced to distinguish vineyards in different parts of the country. Only high-quality vinhos de feitoria wines were exported, the rest were destined to remain within the country.
Also important is the production of glass bottles, which was established at the end of the 17th century. Which greatly facilitated the delivery of valuable cargo to the shores of England.
Production of a strong wine drink
Grapes, which grow in the arid and hot climate of Portugal, are considered ideal for producing good port wine. Harvested by hand in mid-September, as well as for the manufacture of any type of wine.
Bunches of grapes do not differ in large size, like berries. The peel is dense, the varieties are dark. Vines of different species are grown separately from each other, but later they are formed into one blend.
Each type of berry has its own characteristics, different sweetness, richness of taste and aroma. In combination, they turn into excellent raw materials for good port.
There are several stages of wine making, the first of which involves crushing berries on large slabs of stone. This is a kind of granite plates - lagars. Crush occurs also, as from time immemorial, the production of wine, with the help of legs. Harder clusters of grapes in the next stage of production are cut.
In the process of crushing, workers observe a certain technology, each of them is engaged in the business assigned to him. Important in the process of fermentation of grapes is the location of the shell of the berries over the crushed mass. This forms the necessary greenhouse effect, heat is released and the wine mixture begins the fermentation process. After a few hours, tannins, coloring pigments, alcohol and scent from the skin stand out. The stage of free fermentation was called "free", from the moment of laying and crush, the independent process of forming the drink begins.
After the grape juice has been fermented, it is poured into a container and wine alcohol with a strength of 77% is added to it, the ratio of the additive to wine in the classic version is 115 liters per 435 liters. Thanks to alcohol, the work of wine yeast ceases and the sweetness of the drink is preserved.
Tony
Before choosing a good port, you need to decide on its appearance and category. There are two of them in total:
Between them there is a huge difference in the complexity of the ripening product. So, the final stage of maturation of the tony occurs in wooden barrels, and the cut in bottles.
The production of Tony category port wine is characterized by the ripening of wine in huge barrels, the volume of which is about 600 liters made of wood.
The following types of port are available:
- Tony - excerpt three years.
- Tony Reserva - the original Portuguese port with notes of grapes and aging in a wood barrel for six years.
- Tony ten-year, twenty-year, thirty-year and forty-year exposure. The older the age of the wine, the more expensive its cost.
- Coleita - port can be older than a century, aging in a barrel at the same time about seven years.
Ruby
Wine does not oxidize in glass containers; its color, pristine taste and aroma remain. The category of the drink is characterized by less endurance and value. The cost of port can also be different depending on the grape varieties and the aging time. Distinguish:
- cheap ruby port, it is a mixed variety and usually serves as a wine that is not stored;
- Port Ruby Reserve - has a greater saturation of taste and concentration, also has a low price;
- after storage in a barrel for two years and after another three years in a bottle, portage of crustd is obtained from a blend of three good grape varieties;
- wine of dense texture with a rich taste, which is infused in a barrel for six years, was called “late bottle vintage”;
- vintage single quinta - has a high alcohol content for wines and a rich taste and bouquet;
- vintage port is considered the most valuable in the ruby category - after storage for more than two years in a barrel, it matures in a bottle, the term can last up to several tens of years.
Branco
The intermediate category between ruby and tony is branco. It has its own characteristics in color, the drink is called "white port".
The art of drinking port
Porto is served with meat, gourmet snacks or desserts. Nuts and fruits also go well with the drink. As an aperitif, only Branco wine, from light varieties, is suitable.
So, how to drink port correctly? It is important to observe some of the nuances of storing and serving wine. The bottles are stored strictly in a horizontal position, this allows the drink to retain its special taste properties. If the drink is vintage, then before use you should make sure that a precipitate has already formed on the underside of the bottle, and only then open it. Before pouring into glasses, the wine is carefully poured into a separate decanter until sediment. White wines are usually served chilled, and red port wine is consumed at room temperature.
Glasses with a rounded bottom and a narrowing up are used for port, so you can feel all the notes of the bouquet. Glasses in the shape of a tulip fill one third, while their capacity is 220 ml.
Crimean port
Strong wine is widespread. In every country where grapes are grown, there is a production of this drink. How port wine is made in Portugal is described above, but on the Crimean peninsula there are rules for producing wine. They are dictated by the climate of the region.
The technology consists in the fact that the Crimean port is made in stages:
- harvesting and chopping, while light and dark grapes are used;
- wort fermentation;
- adding alcohol to the mixture;
- throughout the hot summer, a barrel of wine and alcohol is in the bright sun, after which it is transferred to a cool basement;
- for several years, the drink continues to ferment and infuse, after which alcohol is added to stop fermentation;
- at the very end, the port is filtered and bottled.
Crimean port with a maturity of about five or six years is especially appreciated. The strength of the wine is about 17-18 degrees, the sugar content is from 9.5%.
Many of the port wine bottled in Crimea have a special blend. Although there are drinks for the production of which only one grape variety is used. These include Massandra, the red port of Livadia and the white Surozh.
Popular drink
In the territory of the former USSR, port with the famous name “777” was so popular that it was he who led the pyramid of alcohol sales.
An ordinary wine drink contains from 17 to 19 degrees and sugar in it from 5 to 10%. For different manufacturers, the percentage changes. This type of port is still being produced today, a feature of which is that it is added to its high-grade brandy in a direct way.
The price of port is “777 & raquo; played an important role in its popularity. The drink was inexpensive and met all consumer needs, was strong and pleasant to the taste, and also had a characteristic wine bouquet.
Today it is worth being extremely careful when purchasing inexpensive alcoholic products. “Port 777”, the price of which is lower than the cost per bottle of well-known manufacturers, may turn out to be a banal fake. In addition to disappointment in the taste of the product, there is a risk of harming one's health by consuming low-quality wine.
How to choose a good port?
Before buying fortified wine, you should familiarize yourself with recognized manufacturers of this product. The main thing in choosing a good port is that a real port is still made only from grapes growing in Portugal. Therefore, regardless of the quality and cost of analogues produced in the Crimea or in Armenia, the right drink can only be made in Portugal. There are many recommendations to determine the quality of wine, but the main one is to determine the place of production of the drink.
The main producers of the drink are:
- Sandeman.
- Offley
- Cálem.
- W. & J. Graham.
- Cockburn's.
- Croft.
- Taylor
- Dow
- Real Companhia Velha.
- CN Kopke.
Among the Crimean producers of the famous drink are:
- "Inkerman."
- Koktebel.
- "Massandra."
You can determine the quality of port by its color, if it allows glass bottles, information about the manufacturer and the presence of sediment.
Aged wines always have a pleasant aroma without a pungent odor of alcohol. The taste of the drink is strong and rich. The absence of a clear amount of alcohol impurities characterizes the quality of the product.
Reviews
Among connoisseurs of strong wine there are both men and women. Port wine is rich in bouquet, strength and bright taste. Those who have tried the Portuguese drink or the good red port wine Massandra leave reviews as a noble drink worth attention. But the cost of this port is slightly lower than that of European counterparts.
A good port is suitable for feasts of any type and level, and bottles of wine are often presented as a gift.
Port wine in cocktails
As an independent drink, strong wine has an incredible taste and is appreciated by many. But it can also be enjoyed in tandem with other supplements. The most famous cocktails with the addition of port are: “Broken Spur”, “Autumn Equinox”, chocolate cocktail, “Devilish” and others.
Port wine is combined with sweet syrups, citrus juices, alcoholic vermouth and liquor. As a highlight, the zest of lemon, orange or cherry is added to the prepared drink. Chilled cocktails are served, often with pieces of ice.