![]() The first shipments of wine under the name Port were recorded in 1678. Many of the oldest vineyards, now classified as World Heritage, are planted on narrow terraces supported by hundreds of hand built dry stone walls. ![]() The grapes, mainly of indigenous varieties such as the Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa or Tinta Barroca, are grown on the steep rocky hillsides bordering the Douro River and its tributaries. The unique terroir of the Douro Valley and its remarkable wines cannot be replicated elsewhere. Like other great classic wines, Port owes its distinctive character to a unique association of climate, soil, grape variety and wine making tradition. In 1756 the Port wine vineyards of the Douro became the first vineyard area in the world to be legally demarcated. Port wine is produced in the mountainous eastern reaches of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, one of the world’s oldest and most beautiful vineyard areas where wine has been made for at least two thousand years. Port is regarded as one of the most civilised and sociable of wines which will help to make any occasion special, whether a quiet evening by the fireside, an informal gathering of friends or a sophisticated formal meal. Many creative chefs also enjoy pairing Port wine with main dishes and it is one of the best wines to enjoy with chocolate or a fine cigar. Traditionally it is served towards the end of the meal with cheese, as a dessert wine or as an after dinner drink although some styles, like white Port, can also be enjoyed as an aperitif. More than any other wine, Port offers endless opportunities for pairing with food. One of the fascinating aspects of Port wine is its variety of different styles, each with its own characteristic flavours, from the intense berry fruit flavours of a Reserve or a Late Bottled Vintage to the rich mellowness of an Aged Tawny or the sublime complexity of a Vintage Port. ![]() This means that the wine retains some of the natural sweetness of the grape, making it rich, round and smooth on the palate. In the case of Port, the addition of the brandy takes place before the wine has finished fermenting. Port is arguably the greatest of all fortified wines and its paramount expression, Vintage Port, ranks alongside the finest produce of Bordeaux or Burgundy as one of the great iconic wines of the world. Fortified wines are made by adding a proportion of grape spirit, or brandy, to the wine at some point during the production process. So what is Port wine? Port is a fortified wine.
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