History and appreciation of Port wine

September 16, 2010

The drink known as Port became popular in England at the end of the seventeenth century. The local produced wine was found to be a better traveller by ship when brandy was first added. The abbot of the monastery in Lamego in 1678 is credited with successfully adding brandy to wine to produce a palatable drink. It took some 100 years later before the quality of Port reached the more refined levels that we know today. This can mainly be credited to a young Englishman, J.J. Forrester, who cleverly eradicated the false customs and trade that was in existence when he arrived in Porto. The Portuguese government was so pleased that they later awarded him the title of Baron. Another person that must be mentioned is Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, who was the uncrowned “Queen of the Douro” in the 19th Century as the largest single landowner and a friend of Baron Forrester.

The Port demarcated region is in the upper Rio Douro valley and its tributaries almost stretching 100 Kms in total length. The terraced vineyards are on slopes that reach to about 500 mts. The land is divided into Quintas that are private estates, many of which are owned by the old English Port Lodges located at the mouth of the Rio Douro in the town of Vila Nova de Guia. This town lies on the southern riverbank and opposite the city of Porto. A visit to a Lodge is recommended as they are interesting and have lots of character within besides imparting the knowledge about preparing Port.

Its governing body the Instituto do Vinho do Porto strictly controls the Port trade. Thirteen senior members of the Association enjoy the independent privilege of also being members of what is known as the “Factory House”. This is an establishment with an old distinctly British flavour that dates back to the 18th Century in architecture and atmosphere. It is from within these granite walls that the British Lodges in Porto have successfully made trade agreements, and during their history, fought off threatening usurpers to their trade. It is considered a rare honour to be invited by a member to dine in style in its period rooms. Among others, a pleasant tradition is that an un