Port Wines

Port production commences in the Douro, of course, but historically much of the work has taken place in Vila Nova de Gaia - a twin city of Oporto on the southern bank of the Douro at the coast. Traditionally, the large Port houses are based in Gaia for ageing, blending, marketing and exportation. Many of the newer, modern Single Quinta houses (such as the Douro boys) now do all of the cellar work on the estates up in the Duoro itself. Growing in the Duoro has traditionally taken place on terraces (socalcos) carved out of the schist in the steep hillslopes rising up from the river.

Making Port is achieved by a relatively short, vigorous process of extraction and fermentation. Roga (gangs of foot-treaders) extract colour, flavour and tannin by treading in the shallow stone lagares before a short fermentation of just 2-3 days, after which fermentation is stopped by the addition of 77% a/v aguardente (fortifying spirit), in order to leave the requisite residual sugar in the wine. It is then racked to barrels and allowed to 'fall bright' over winter, with sediment and tartrates dropping into the bottom of the vat. Note that the 'traditional' Ports we know, with relatively high levels of residual sugar are in fact quite recent - prior to the 19th century, most Port was both dry and fortified.