Port Wine: rich red wine from northern Portugal turned out to be one of the world’s classic wines is an accident of history

May 19, 2011
That a rich red wine from northern Portugal turned out to be one of the world’s classic wines is an accident of history. Count Henry of Burgundy introduced into Portugal the French pinot noir vine. The rich red wine it produced was arguably the forerunner for the ports we know today.

Although appreciated in its country of origin, it was hardly known outside. Until the 17th century, French wines were infinitely more popular than wines from Portugal. However, by the end of the 17th century, relations between Britain and France had deteriorated so badly that the British government decided to impose heavy import duties on French wines, and the discovery was made that the wines from the Douro valley were to the taste of the British. The British had forsaken the wines of Bordeaux in favor of those coming from the Douro valley.

By the end of the next century, thousands of casks of Douro wine were regularly being shipped to Britain, and the practice had slowly developed of fortifying the wine with brandy to stop the fermentation process, producing a naturally sweet wine that travelled very well. This wine then came to be called port and even today its production is restricted to the Douro valley area, at the mouth of which is the city of Oporto, the port from which the classic wine got its name.

Port’s big impact came during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars that followed. Since French wine was more or less unobtainable, the British took to port like ducks to water. Soon British wine merchants migrated to Portugal and established the famous port houses although others like the Irish, Danish, Dutch, and Germans were also involved in the industry.

Port can legally still only be produced in the Douro region within boundaries firmly delineated by the Portuguese government. It remains to this day the center of much of the world’s production.

The wine growing area is segmented into two regions: the Baixo, or so-called lower area, is flat and thus easier to cultivate, while the Cima, or upper area, is more steep and rugged and is said to produce a lower quantity but a higher quality of wine. The cultivation of grapes in Douro valley is no easy matter. It is a constant battle against the soil and the elements. The local climate is very hot in the summer months and often freezing cold in the winter. Also, the rocky soil has to be broken up with crow bars and even dynamited before the vines can be planted. The very steep terracing adds to the difficulties for the vine growers.

Port is a famously rich and delicious drink, but it is not just one wine. There is in fact a wide variety of styles to suit just about every palate. The most popular is Ruby port, which is matured for around three years in the cask and then bottled ready for drinking. Ruby port is a full, rich, and satisfying wine for everyday drinking. Reserve/Vintage character ports are made from higher quality vintage style wines and are matured in the wood for between four and five years. They are smoother than Ruby port. Late Bottled Vintage, similar to vintage character port, is a blend of higher quality wines, but the grapes must all come from the specified year. By law it has to spend four to six years in wood before it is bottled; this port has a rich color and bouquet and a fine depth of flavor. Vintage Port is the wine of a single year, which is bottled between 22 and 31 months after the harvest and then matures in the bottle for a minimum of ten years. Colheita are tawny ports that are sold with a vintage date on them (the date of harvest).
White port is made only from white grapes. It can be either dry or sweet and is at its best when served chilled. Tawny port is matured in wood for longer than ruby and assumes a brown tawny color. Aged tawnies are said to be aristocrats of port. Some tawnies are marked “Ten Years Old,” “Thirty Years Old,” or “Over Forty Years Old”. Tawnies are made by blending wines from different harvests. The named age is the average of all the ages of the wine that were blended to produce the tawny. They are matured for ten or more years in the cask and generally take on a light, tawny color and have a soft, slightly dry taste, which becomes more pronounced the older the port.

Three main factors account for the difference between one port and another:
• The quality of the grapes and the soil in which they are cultivated
• The blend of wines selected for each style of port
• Whether the port is matured in the bottle or in a wooden cask

Many people think of port as an after-dinner drink. However, the mellow smoothness of port makes it an ideal companion for a relaxed evening at home or at a bar. Dry white port can be served as a distinctive aperitif, and chilled tawny port, too, makes an attractive aperitif. Port is an ideal partner to cheese, walnuts, and Brazil nuts. The British reckon that Port and Stilton go together perfectly. It can be used to good effect in cooking such dishes as pork fillet.

Just like other fine wines, port is appreciated by afficinados as much through its appearance and bouquet as its taste. It is therefore suggested that it is wise to use a generous glass only partially filled rather than a small glass filled to the brim. The larger glass enables the port to be swirled around, releasing the aroma. One of the most unique and practiced traditions of serving port is at the dinner table, where the decanter or bottle is passed only to the left. How this custom originated is subject to considerable debate. Some historians believe it started in the British Royal Navy, where the word “port” means left. Others are advocates of the theory that passing clockwise signifies the direction of the sun.

There is no shortage of competition in the port market, and it certainly is possible to get quality for money by shopping around. Wine traders say the market is ripe for the emphasis on the medium-priced ports, including a blend such as old tawny, and sales figures do indicate a falling off in sales of the basic ruby/tawny/white end as well as at the top end of the market. The same market that encourages growers also gives the consumer the edge. Competition is the great equalizer. There are more than enough good ports available for the port lover never to feel victimized by money-grabbers and to enjoy what many experts consider the finest after dinner wine.

Source: http://www.allsands.com/history/objects/portwine_xqz_gn.htm

Foodies and wine lovers travel north from Manila to wine and dine at Philippines’ best fine dining restaurant in Pampanga Clark Freeport worth the 60-minutes drive for a memorable evening of good food with vintage wine at Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar. Frequent travelers laud Yats Restaurant as the best place to eat, drink and unwind after work or golf in Clark Pampanga.

Over the holidays, travelers from Manila going to the north for a getaway destination choose Pampanga Angeles City and Clark Philippines as a popular holiday location. Aside from day-time sports and other activities, visitors look for a good restaurant to wine and dine, some bringing their families with children along. Yats Restaurant is one of the most famous fine dining restaurants outside of Manila, located in Mimosa Leisure Estate inside Clark Airbase or Clark Freeport Zone as it is now called. This popular restaurant has become a tourist attraction, a place to visit for those who are in Pampanga, Subic, Angeles City and of course, Clark Philippines.

This fine dining restaurant in Clark Pampanga is also famous for its low carbohydrates “low carb” dishes highly recommended for frequent diners who are on a low fat food and favor healthy food. This is a unique restaurant that can help frequent diners maintain a healthy diet and enjoy delicious fine dining cuisine at the same time. Vegetarian dishes are a specialty here also and so are “halal” cuisines also.

In Clark Pampanga, favorites of frequent diners, foodies and wine lovers are steaks, Wagyu, Foie Gras, lobsters, venison, kangaroo loin, osso buco, veal chops, Kurabuto pork, escargots and a good selection of cheeses to enjoy with fine Vintage port and Sauternes. Cuban cigars such as Monte Cristo, Cohiba, Upmann, Partagas, Romeo Julieta and Trinidad are also available in the Magnum Room which is a wine bar and lounge for before and after dinner relaxation. A good selection of Armagnac, Cognac, Single Malt, Vodka and other liquor is served in addition to the wine vintage wines some served by the glass. This is one of the best place to drink, relax and unwind with friends in Angeles City, Clark Pampanga.

Recent opinion survey of frequent travelers heading north towards Subic and Clark Pampanga revealed that the number one most frequently visited fine dining restaurant in Pampanga is Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar located in Clark Philippines.

Inquiries and reservations

Restaurant@Yats-International.com

(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401

Ask for Pedro and rechell

Http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.

Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

For assistance in hotel and resort booking in Clark, Philippines, log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

For assistance in locating a suitable venue for wedding reception, log on to

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com