Port Wine

Port Wine

Most Indians claim to know Port Wine and believe albeit erroneously that Port wine comes from Goa. While it’s a good thing they’re familiar with the term, perhaps it’s important to straighten out the facts. All Port wine is produced in Portugal’s Duoro Valley.

Port wine is the most popular style of fortified wine produced from a blend of local grapes led by the flagship grape, Touriga Nacional. White port is produced primarily from Verdelho. Port wine is uniquely different from conventional wine in that fermentation is stopped once a desired sugar level is reached, by adding brandy to the wine. The resulting wine is sweet and high in alcohol.

This method was first introduced in the mid-17th century to prevent wine from spoiling when transported by sea, especially from Europe to India. Today, Duoro Valley is recognized as legally the only region that can call its fortified wines, Port and produces a number of sumptuous styles including Tawny and Ruby Port.

Tastes Like

Port Wine is a rich and full bodied fortified wine that is sweet and high in alcohol. While that’s a general tasting note, each port wine style has a different taste profile depending on the grapes used and length of barrel ageing. One can expect a range of delicious flavours like blackberry plum and chocolate. Oder Port wine can also show notes of figs, dried fruit and caramel.

Key Styles

Ruby Port is a classic ‘drink now’ wine with fruity bouquet that is a right of passage for port wine beginners.

Tawnies are a step up, since barrel aged for three years, giving the wine weight and complexity.

Late Bottled Vintages (LBV), aged for more than three years are a unique expression of the vintage during the which the grape was picked.

Vintage ports sit at the very top of the pecking order since these aren’t produced every year and remain the most sought after niche of Port.

Key Countries & Regions

Portugal – Duoro Valley