Port wine Portuguese - wine sailors, conquered the world

The history of Portuguese port wine is rooted in the depths of centuries. The first vineyards in the valley of the river Douro were planted by the Romans at the beginning of our era. For the cultivation of grapes in the valley are suitable 250 thousand hectares, now vineyards are occupied by 42 thousand hectares. The valley is very well located - the surrounding mountains do not let cold air, and the shale soils are ideal for the growth of vines.

Portuguese port gained popularity in England, and then - and throughout the world, thanks to another quarrel between the British and the French in the late 17th century. French Minister Colbert banned the export of French wines to England. And the eyes of the British wine merchants turned to the south, to the valley of the Douro River. In Spain, this river is called Duero, in Portugal - Douro or Douro.

By this time England and Portugal already had centuries-old trade ties. In the suburbs of the commercial city of Porto, Vila Nova di Gaia, representative offices of English trading companies have long settled, and their wine stores were also located there. Portuguese wines were taken down the river to Porto. By the beginning of the 17th century, more than a million wine boxes per year were sold in Porto.

So, the eyes turned to this fertile valley and the city of Porto, which, justifying its name, was indeed a busy port. But the wines that the Portuguese could supply to England were young and immature, they turned sour on the road.

How it all happened - history is silent. According to one of the versions, the idea to add brandy to the wine came into someone's clever head . Brandy did not allow the wine to sour, and part of the sugar did not have time to turn into alcohol, providing sweet wine. According to another version, the abbot of the Portuguese monastery, located near the valley, treated two English travelers with extremely pleasant wine. The English were interested. And it turned out that the holy father added brandy to wine .

So there was Portuguese port wine - a noble sweet fortified wine. Initially, it was produced in this way - grape alcohol was added to the finished wine. But then the technology was improved. Now alcohol is added when fermented at least half the sugar contained in the grape juice. The earlier alcohol is added, the more sweet the wine will turn out. Grape alcohol is added in a 1: 4 ratio.

Wine was called differently. Porto portuguese, porto, wine from Oporto, wine-porto - this noble drink had many names. Finally, the Portuguese port gained its name in 1756. The then Minister Marquis de Pombal took unprecedented measures at that time to protect the port from counterfeits. Clear boundaries of the area where it was allowed to produce port were determined. And to this day so - only wine from the Douro Valley can be called "Porto Portuguese".

And also the marquis decided that the whole port can be bottled only in the suburbs of Porto, Vila Nova di Gaia. Since then every spring many-liter oak barrels with fermented grape juice are transported to Vila Nova di Gaia. The port is kept in such a barrel for several years, then it is blended, that is, mixed, and bottled.

Ports of Portuguese are produced in a variety of species. The main ones are three.

Ruby - ruby - the cheapest type of port, its endurance is at least three, but not more than 10 years in a barrel.

Tony - tan is more expensive kind, it is kept in a barrel not less than 10, but also no more than 20 years. Then it becomes too much like taste with a liqueur. In England and Portugal, it is customary to drink port wine made for the age of a child made from grapes harvested in the year of birth of the birthday person. This is the only sort of port that is served chilled to 12 degrees.

Vintage - old - ripens in bottles. This wine does not spoil with time, only improves its bouquet and acquires a unique flavor. This is a good investment of capital - over time, such a port becomes only more expensive.

Corks for bottles of port wine are also made from Portuguese raw materials - the bark of Portuguese oak. For each stopper, the brand of the National Institute of Douro Wines is glued to avoid forgery.

Ports, or rather, wines that are produced using the same technology, are made in other countries and regions, for example, in South Africa. In Russia, Portuguese port is not very popular due to its high cost and inaccessibility, but the high-quality port of Massandra, Koktebel, Magarach and Inkerman are widely known. Although, of course, neither to the city of Porto, nor to the valley of the Douro River, they have no relation. But the name was historically fixed.

There is even a whole group of wines that are still popular on the territory of the former USSR, like port 777 or port Agdam. They are known under the collective pseudonym of "mutter" and, of course, have nothing to do with the noble beverage "Porto Portuguese".