What’s in a Name?

Or Three Hundred Years of Port Wine.

The French, as everyone knows, are the creators of fashion. All fashion. How to dress, what to read, how to build and, of course, what to eat and drink and how to eat and drink it... The rest of the world can only argue as to whether to follow or not the latest French innovation. The English, on the other hand, create traditions – indisputable, unshakeable, and not obligatory for others... But it's a curious thing: many hold on to these traditions with gratitude for the fact that they don't have to think up standards in the eternal cycle of change, for it is said: "Thou shalt not confuse fashion with style!" So we don't. "So what's all this got to do with Portuguese wine?" – you might well ask. Well, the answer is: it all started with fashion. In the 17th century, French claret, a sweet and strong wine with a fairly rich bouquet, was very much in fashion in England – and then war broke out...

In search of wine, or a little about English foreign policy

Porto (now Oporto), a city built of grey granite faced with decorative ceramic tiles, was the capital of Northern Portugal. The convenient location of this port at the mouth of the River Douro had for centuries been an attraction to all sorts of people, including merchants, pirates and shipwrecked sailors. And many of those who came there, stayed to become part of the life and character of this amazing place. Many were English, and like the Portuguese merchants and sailors, they brought wool and sun-dried cod in exchange for fruit, olive oil, wine and wheat, which the local countryside was rich in. Partly due to the existence of an alliance between England and Portugal, which dated back to 1373, and partly due to their natural ability to adapt themselves easily to life in any country (and that was especially easy here owing to the hospitality of the Portuguese), the English colony in Porto flourished rapidly. By 1666, there were so many English merchants in Portugal that a trading association was formed to represent their interests to the Portuguese authorities. Furthermore, one particular product was beginning to attract more and more of the English merchants' attention – wine. The catalyst for this strong interest was the worsening of relations between England and France, which had resulted in a sharp fall in shipments of claret, a wine that the English had drunk since the middle ages. There was only one problem – the wine that was produced on the Portuguese coast could not compete with claret: it was pale, bland and viscous. 

The English wanted a stronger and sweeter wine, which at least partially resembled the claret that was fashionable in English homes. And ultimately they found it... Travelling into the hinterland along the valley of the mighty Douro, they discovered a veritable treasure stored in the mountains. The rocky ground, the dry, hot summers and the proximity of water resulted in the production of a completely different type of wine, while the river provided an ideal means of transportation to Porto on the coast and to the ships at sea. And since it was from that city and only from that city that the wine could be shipped to the rest of the world, it soon became known in English as 'Port'.

Undoubtedly, port owed its initial success not only to a fortunate combination of the centuries-old wine-making traditions of the Portuguese and the commercial acumen of the English. Politics also played their part, since it was one of the regular bans on the import of wine (that have been so common in the history of relations between England and France) that became the turning point in the history of port. In 1703 the Methuen Treaty between England and Portugal was signed, and this opened doors in England for the suppliers of port. The conditions of this treaty gave significant advantages to Portuguese wine over the traditional German and French wines: the tariff, amounting to two thirds of the tariff on wines from other countries, meant that port had no competition. In exchange, English textile manufacturers were given most favoured nation status for their products in Portugal. Of course, wine tariffs in England were continually changing, but one thing remained constant: the tariff ratio was always in favour of port.

But whatever caused this expansion, it is the ultimate result that is important. By the early 18th century, shipments of port to England had reached truly enormous proportions, and the wine became the basis of every gentleman's wine cellar. A glass or port with a cigar became one of the stable traditions of the English aristocracy that appreciated in full measure the unique character of this wine.

Child of the river, treasure of the mountains

Douro in Portuguese means 'river of gold', and very likely the sun was so reflected on the surface of the fast-flowing waters – still unconfined by dams – that the ancients gave it that poetic name. But there's nothing poetic about the extreme severity of the conditions in this area. Incredibly sheer cliffs and crags rise up from the river bed, making any kind of labour impossible, except what can be done with the hands; a thin layer of poor soil covers the hard granite; and a ridge of mountains cuts the valley off from the rest of the world... Add to that the extreme climate – summer, dry and hot; winter unbearably cold – and the Douro Valley becomes one of the most dramatic winegrowing regions in the world. But if you want an answer as to why grapes are grown in such inhospitable conditions – you will find it in every bottle of port.

Officially, the Douro Region is divided into three districts: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. Despite the fact that the names of the districts are not indicated on port bottle labels (unlike, for instance, the districts of Bordeaux), each of them has its own specific climatic conditions, which substantially affect the quality of the wine. Baixo (or Lower) Corgo stretches from the western boundary of the region to the River Corgo. Although the area of this district amounts to only 28% of the entire territory, it contains more than half of its vineyards. Baixo Corgo has the least extreme climate of the three districts, the greatest humidity and the smallest temperature differences. This makes it possible for the vines to produce a larger number of grapes than the vines in the other areas. Large vineyards are a rarity in this district, and there are very few really outstanding winemaking concerns or Quintas that produce premium wine. On the other hand, the district dominates the production of young wines – ruby, tawny and white port, which comprise 85% of the market.

The Cima Corgo lies in the centre of the valley. It is the heart of the whole area and where the most famous Quintas are to be found. Their names literally follow you around everywhere, being written in huge white letters on every slope, at every bend in the river, and at every twist and turn of the mountain roadway. Although the Cima Corgo is only a few kilometres to the east of the Baixo Corgo, the climate there is much dryer, and this makes it possible to produce wines of a much higher quality.

The third and most easterly district, the Douro Superior – is the least cultivated of all. Cut off from the valley by a narrow bottle neck at Valeira, the Douro Superior even today produces less than 5% of all the wines in the region, primarily as a result of the fact that access to it is extremely difficult. The vineyards here date back to the 16th century. There aren't many of them, but they tend to be larger in size.

Not all vineyards are called Quintas. Since there is no precise definition of this type, it is impossible to say how many of them there are in the Douro Valley. Approximate figures give from 1500 to 2000 out of 80,000 registered vineyards as belonging to this category. All vineyards without exception are assessed on a special points system or Cadastre, in accordance with which they are graded on an alphabetical scale from A to F. The best grades, A and B, account for about 20% of the whole. 75% are classed C or D, but only 5% are in the E and F grades. The majority of A and B vineyards are located in the Cima Corgo and the Douro Superior.

Birth

The grapes on the upper reaches of the Douro are harvested at the end of September, and within a few weeks lines of pickers can be seen along the whole length of the valley lowering baskets full of grapes to the wine-presses that are placed near the river and that at the height of the harvest are working day and night. Many of the vineyards keep up the traditional method of wine-pressing whereby the pressers use their feet to crush the grapes, as was done in ancient times.

The process of maturing the wine begins immediately, while the grapes are still in the press. Fermentation is the basis of the process. The wine-makers wait for the time when approximately half the grape sugar has been converted into alcohol, and then the juice is poured into barrels to which brandy has already been added. The ratio is given officially as one part of brandy to four parts of wine, but the precise proportions for making port remain a strict secret. The following spring, the young wine begins its journey to the cellars of the wine-traders, a journey that for centuries has been made down the Douro on special flatbottom barges moving under sail or by oar. 

The mountains of barrels stacked on the decks are shipped to the place where the wine will mature – the cellars and warehouses of the wine-traders. In the second year after the harvest, the process of blending the wine begins. Specialists evaluate and mix hundreds of samples, after which the wine is again barrelled. The length of time the wine spends maturing and the time at which it is bottled depend on its style. All port wines bottled in Portugal must be specially checked by the Instituto do Vinho do Porto, and only after they have been approved by the state supervisor are they given a legal certificate of quality. A black and white guarantee label is hung round their neck, attesting to the genuineness of the designation (porto or port) and of the specifications (age, type, volume, strength) of the wine, as well as the name of the supplier (or bottler) and the words "Made in Portugal". Only after this does the port actually go on sale.

By way of a conclusion

"The British colony of wine suppliers in Port is one of the most romantic phenomena in the history of our settlements. The residents there would probably not agree with this epithet, but 'romantic' is the word that best suits their history. Romance lies at the basis of their business and everything that surrounds it: the winegrowing culture in the upper reaches of the Douro, the beauty of the mountain vineyards and estates, the harvesting of the grapes and their conversion into wine, the journey back down the magnificent Douro to the cool cellars of the Vila Nova de Gaia... and finally the rich colour and bouquet of the port itself. All that explains the role that for two and a half centuries this wine has played in English life..." (The Went to Portugal, London, 1946).

Classification

The varieties or styles of port are determined primarily by the methods used for ageing. Depending upon whether the wine has spent the greater part of its life in a barrel or a bottle, it acquires the typical characteristics that determine its style.

White port comes from white grapes and varies in colour from straw-yellow to brownish pink, in sugar content from dry to very sweet, and in strength from 16.5% to 20%. It is aged from five to ten years and, like certain other types of port considered below, it is generally thought that it should be drunk immediately after it has been put on the market. White port is best served cooled to 10-12°C.

Ruby Port. As is evident from the name, the wine retains a ruby colour, as it is bottled while still young (the brown shade appears in red wines during the process of ageing). Ruby Port is a blend that is usually aged for about four years. It is an inexpensive wine with body (sometimes, though, it can be heavy) and a fruity 'temperament'. Ruby is served cooled at 12_15°C as an aperitif, with cheese, or in a cocktail. Sometimes, instead of the category 'Ruby', the term 'Reserved' is used on the bottle. This usually signifies a longer period of ageing – 5-10 years – during which the wine acquires a more elegant style.

Tawny Port can have a brownish, amber, brownish-gold, reddish and sometimes a topaz colour. This is the result of ageing in small barrels due to greater contact with the wood. Tawny is not as aggressive as Ruby, and its taste is more complex due to the addition of woody tones so that it produces a feeling of dryness and sometimes a nutty flavour. Tawny spends most of its ageing time in barrels. A statement on the label as to the length of its ageing in the barrel and the date of its bottling are considered obligatory. 10 and 20-year-old Tawnies are, as a rule, the finest of the great variety of ports in relation to price and quality. A young Tawny, cooled to 12°C is frequently used as an aperitif, but an old Tawny served at 15-17°C is exceptionally good after a meal as a digestive and it combines well with cigars. Colheita – the most expensive variety of old Tawny – is made from the grapes of a single harvest, the year of which is always stamped on the label.

Vintage Port – the elite of the world of port and its most expensive class. It is made from the grapes of one harvest, which has been officially declared as the finest of the finest. Wine of this type is aged in barrels for up to two years, then it is poured into bottles, maintaining its saturated red-purple colour. Vintage Port is released as a young wine, but it should be aged in the bottle for at least 15 years – this is the time it takes to produce the famous and astonishing bouquet of this ideal companion to any cigar. The elite types of Vintage Port are aged for decades (up to 50 years and sometimes more!) in bottles, which are kept lying flat in the same position so that the sediment is not disturbed and allowed to form a crust and crystallize on the inner walls of the bottle. The prestige houses put a special white mark on their Vintage Port bottles, which shows a future owner where the upper part of the bottle was during storage in the supplier's cellars.

Vintage Port is corked with a solid, deep-sunk cork, which requires a professional corkscrew or a sommelier knife to open. An open bottle of Vintage is never recorked – the wine should be drunk in its entirety (this rule does not extend to other types of port, the bottles of which therefore employ reusable corks).

Single Quinta Vintage Port. This wine is produced on the same lines as Vintage Port, but it uses grapes from a single vineyard (Quinta), and the requirements when selecting a harvest for the purposes of declaring a Single Quinta Vintage are less strict. This wine is not as valuable as Vintage and is not intended to be aged in the bottle for so long.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV). A simplified version of the style, which is intended for earlier consumption and is considered unfit for ageing after it has been put on the market. It is aged in large barrels for about four years, i.e. longer than Vintage Port, and as a result has a complex fruity bouquet, while maintaining a thick, dark colour. Two dates are usually stamped on the bottle: the date of the harvest and the date of the bottling. It is not as expensive as Vintage, but retains a high level of gustatory qualities. 

Cigar Clan 2'2005 vol.1. Natalia Ryzhkova