Port wine is a fortified wine produced from grapes grown in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal, one of the worlds oldest demarcated and regulated wine regions. It is fortified by adding a neutral grape spirit during fermentation, which halts the process before all the grapes natural sugar converts to alcohol, leaving the finished wine sweet and raising its alcohol content. Styles range from ruby and tawny ports, generally aged in large wooden vats or casks, to vintage port, bottled after only brief cask aging and intended for long bottle aging. Traditionally, only wine from the Douro region shipped through the city of Porto can legally be labeled port.
Facts
Origin Period, From (Year)English wine merchants first documented encounter with the fortified, sweetened Douro wine style dates to 1678; Port's export trade to England grew substantially after the 1703 Methuen Treaty lowered import duties. Origin RegionDouro Valley, northern Portugal 1 Connections
Expresses Tradition
Uses Ingredient
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Portugal, originated there.
Sources
1. Port Wine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section
or simply port, is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal.
History subsection
In 1678, a Liverpool wine merchant sent two new representatives to Viana do Castelo, north of Oporto, to learn the wine trade.
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