Port Wine From Portugal

In Portuguese: Vinho do Porto

Apart from the football, a good reason for visiting Portugal is the alcoholic beverage called 'port', named after the city of Porto, which is located near to the wine's demarcated area of production.

Port is a fortified wine; the wine has had grape brandy added to it after a couple of days' fermentation. 80% wine 20% brandy.

• Tinto (red)
• Tinto Aloirado (ruby red)
• Aloirado (tawny)
• Branco (white)
• Seco (dry)
• Doce (sweet)
• Vintage Character Port (a cheaper version of Vintage Port)
• Quinta (wine estate)
• Colheita (tawny port, cask-aged for 7 years or more)

There are several types:

Tinto and Tinto Aloirado are dark, sweet and the cheapest. They are made from a blend of wines of lesser quality.

Tawnies can also be blended. These get their name from the colour the wine takes on after maturing, often for many years, in mahogany casks. The longer the maturation, the lighter the colour of the port.

Branco, white port, is not so well-known outside Portugal. The dry version, "seco" makes a good aperitif.

Higher quality port includes tawny aged in casks for more than 7 years: 'colheita'; through LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) which is casked for 4-6 years; to, finally, the top quality Vintage Port, bottled within 2 years and left to mature in the bottle – rather than in the cask - for 10 years or more from a single harvest before it's ready to drink – this is made from wines of exceptionally high standard and only in certain years is it produced.

Madeira

In Portuguese: Vinho da Madeira

Another fortified wine comes from the Portuguese island of Madeira.

The sweet version the English used to call "malmsey". There are two other versions: the semi-sweet "verdelho" and the dry "sercial".

Related Links

Wine in Germany

Wine in Austria

Tourist Information on China

Your Guide To China - Beijing-Visitor.com

Information on Portugal

"The Onside In-Site" Copyright © From 2000. All rights reserved. Soccerphile Ltd.