View source for Port wine

{{Short description|Portuguese fortified wine}}
{{Redirect|Port Wine|the locality in Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia|Port Wine, Queensland}}
{{About|the type of wine|the birthmark|Port-wine stain|the Krazy Kat short|Port Whines}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
[[File:Port wine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|A glass of port]]
'''Port wine''' ({{langx|pt|vinho do Porto}}, {{IPA|pt|ˈviɲu ðu ˈpoɾtu|lang}}; {{literally|wine of [[Porto]]}}), or simply '''port''', is a [[Portuguese wine|Portuguese]] [[fortified wine]] produced in the [[Douro|Douro Valley]] of [[Norte, Portugal|northern Portugal]].<ref name="fp">{{Cite book |last=Porter |first=Darwin |title=Frommer's Portugal |date=2000 |publisher=IDG Books Worldwide |others=Danforth Prince |isbn=0-02-863601-5 |edition=16th |location=Foster City, CA |oclc=43689483}}</ref> It is typically a [[sweetness of wine|sweet]] [[red wine]], often served with [[dessert wine|dessert]], although it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.

Only wines from Portugal are allowed to be labelled "port".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=URISERV%3Al21303 |title=Labelling of wine and certain other wine sector products|access-date=18 June 2023|website=[[Eur-Lex]] |publisher=European Union|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t26t28+1697+0++|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511222916/http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t26t28+1697+0++|url-status=dead|title=Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives|archivedate=11 May 2013}}</ref>

==Region and production==
[[File:VinhoDoPorto Garantia.jpg|thumb|upright|Official guarantee label from a bottle of port]]
Other port-style fortified wines are produced outside Portugal{{spnd}}in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, India, Italy, South Africa, Spain, and the United States{{spnd}}but under the [[European Union]] [[Protected Designation of Origin]] guidelines, only wines from Portugal are allowed to be labelled "port".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=URISERV%3Al21303 |title=Labelling of wine and certain other wine sector products|access-date=18 June 2023|website=[[Eur-Lex]] |publisher=European Union|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t26t28+1697+0++|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511222916/http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t26t28+1697+0++|url-status=dead|title=Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives|archivedate=11 May 2013}}</ref>

[[File:The Douro Valley vineyards.jpg|thumb|upright|The vineyards that produce port wine are common along the hillsides that flank the valley of the River [[Douro]] in northern Portugal.]]

Port is produced from grapes grown and processed in the demarcated [[Douro DOC|Douro region]].<ref name="fp"/>{{rp|492}} The wine produced is then fortified by the [[Mutage|addition of a neutral grape spirit]] known as [[aguardente#Portugal|aguardente]] to stop the [[Fermentation (wine)|fermentation]], leaving residual sugar in the wine, and to boost the [[Alcohol (drug)|alcohol content]]. The fortification spirit is sometimes referred to as [[brandy]], but it bears little resemblance to commercial brandies. The wine is then stored and [[aging of wine|aged]], often in [[barrel]]s stored in a lodge (meaning "cellar") as is the case in [[Vila Nova de Gaia]], before being bottled. The wine received its name, "port", in the latter half of the 17th century from the [[seaport]] city of [[Porto]] at the mouth of the [[Douro River]], where much of the product was brought to market or for export to other countries in Europe. The Douro valley where port wine is produced was defined and established as a protected region, and the name ''Douro'' thus an official [[appellation]], in 1756, making it the third oldest wine after [[Chianti]] (1716) and [[Tokaji|Tokaj]] (1730).

The reaches of the valley of the Douro River in northern Portugal have a [[Regional climates levels in viticulture|microclimate]] that is optimal for [[horticulture|cultivation]] of [[olive]]s, [[almond]]s, and especially grapes important for making port wine. The region around [[Alijó Municipality|Pinhão]] and [[São João da Pesqueira]] is considered to be the centre of port production, and is known for its picturesque ''quintas''&nbsp;– estates clinging on to almost vertical slopes dropping down to the river.

===Wine regions===
[[File:Porto.Grahams03.jpg|thumb|Aging in wooden barrels]]

The demarcation of the Douro River Valley includes a broad swath of land of pre-[[Cambrian]] [[schist]] and [[granite]]. Beginning around the village of [[Barqueiros]] (about {{convert|70|km|abbr=on}} upstream from Porto), the valley extends eastward almost to the Spanish border. The region is protected from the influences of the Atlantic Ocean by the [[Serra do Marão]] mountains. The area is subdivided into three official zones: the Baixo (lower) Corgo, the Cima (higher) Corgo, and the Douro Superior.<ref name="ocw">{{Cite book |title=The Oxford companion to wine |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |editor-first=Jancis |editor-last=Robinson |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |edition=3rd |location=Oxford |oclc=70699042}}</ref>{{rp|536}}
* '''Baixo Corgo''' – The westernmost zone located downstream from the river [[Corgo River|Corgo]], centred on the municipality of [[Peso da Régua]]. This region is the wettest port production zone, receiving an annual average of {{convert|900|mm|in}} of precipitation and it has the coolest average temperature of the three zones. The grapes grown here are used mainly for the production of inexpensive ruby and tawny ports.<ref name="ocw"/>{{rp|536}}
* '''Cima Corgo''' – Located upstream from the Baixo Corgo, this region is centred on the town of Pinhão (municipality of [[Alijó]]). The summertime average temperature of the region is a few degrees higher, and annual rainfall is about {{convert|700|mm|in}}. The grapes grown in this zone are considered of higher quality, being used in bottlings of vintage, reserve, aged tawny, and late bottled vintage ports.<ref name="ocw"/>{{rp|536}}
* '''Douro Superior''' – The easternmost zone, extending almost to the Spanish border. This is the least cultivated region of Douro, due in part to the difficulties of navigating the river past the [[rapids]] of [[Valeira Dam|Cachão da Valeira]]. This is the driest and warmest region of the Douro. The overall terrain is relatively flat, with the potential for [[mechanical harvesting|mechanization]].<ref name="ocw"/>{{rp|536}}

===Grapes===
{{See also|List of Port wine grapes}}

[[File:Porto.Grahams12.jpg|thumb|right|Vintage ports from 1870 and 1873]]

Over a hundred varieties of grapes (''castas'') are sanctioned for port production, although only five ([[Tinta Barroca]], [[Tinto Cão]], Tinta Roriz ([[Tempranillo]]), [[Touriga Francesa]], and [[Touriga Nacional]]) are widely cultivated and used.<ref name=Mayson>Mayson (1999), ''Port and the Douro'', p. 93</ref> [[Touriga Nacional]] is widely considered the most desirable port grape but the difficulty in growing it, and the small yields cause Touriga Francesa to be the most widely planted grape.<ref name=Mayson/> White ports are produced the same way as red ports, except that they use white grapes&nbsp;– [[Donzelinho Branco]], [[Esgana-Cão]], [[Folgasão]], [[Gouveio]], [[Malvasia Fina]], [[Rabigato]] and [[Viosinho]]. While a few shippers have experimented with ports produced from a single variety of grapes, all ports commercially available are from a blend of different grapes. Since the [[Phylloxera]] [[Great French Wine Blight|crisis]], most vines are grown on [[Grafting|grafted]] rootstock, with the notable exception of the Nacional area of [[Quinta do Noval]], which, since being planted in 1925, has produced some of the most expensive vintage ports.

Grapes grown for port are generally characterized by their small, dense fruit which produces concentrated and long-lasting flavours, suitable for long aging. While the grapes used to produce port made in Portugal are strictly regulated by the [[Instituto do Vinho do Porto]], wines from outside this region that describe themselves as port may be made from other varieties.

===Sales===
In 2013, there were 8.7&nbsp;million cases of port sold, 3.6% less than the previous year, at a value of $499&nbsp;million. Port sales have been declining since 2005 and in 2014 were down 16% from that year.<ref name=sales>{{cite web |url=http://www.shankennewsdaily.com/index.php/2014/06/05/9490/global-port-volume-slips-but-premiumization-well-underway-in-u-s/ |title=Global Port Volume Slips, But Premiumization Well Underway in U.S. |date=5 June 2014 | work=Shanken News Daily |access-date=27 November 2015}}</ref>  In 2023 about 7.2 million cases were sold, with a value of €364 million.<ref name=ivdp>{{cite web |url=https://www.ivdp.pt/en/information/statistics/global-statistics/ |title=Global Statistics (2023) |access-date=26 October 2024}}</ref> Declining sales are attributed by some to increasing prices, due to the increased cost of alcohol used in the production process.<ref name=sales/> Declining sales have also been attributed to the global rise in alcohol levels of table wines.<ref name=graperadio>{{cite AV media |url=http://www.graperadio.com/archives/2009/06/29/alcohol-levels-and-wine/ |title=Alcohol Levels and Wine |date=29 June 2009 |website=Grape Radio|access-date=1 February 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114042655/http://www.graperadio.com/archives/2009/06/29/alcohol-levels-and-wine/ |archive-date=2016-11-14}}</ref> As of 2014, the leading brand in Portugal is Cálem, which sells 2.6&nbsp;million bottles annually.<ref name=calem>{{cite web |url=http://m.drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/4235/Bright_Outlook_port_side.html?current_page=2 |title=Bright Outlook Port Side |date=10 January 2014|first=Hamish |last=Smith |work=Drinks International |access-date=20 November 2015}}</ref>

===Transport===
[[File:Rabelo Douro en–Porto.jpg|thumb|right|''Rabelos'', a type of boat traditionally used to transport barrels of port down the River Douro for storage and aging in caves at Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto]]
[[File:Porto wine barrels (7872306736).jpg|right|thumb|A [[Rabelo boat|barco rabelo]] carrying display port barrels]]

Port is produced from grapes grown in the Douro valley. Until 1986 it could only be exported from Portugal from [[Vila Nova de Gaia]] near [[Porto]], Portugal's second-largest city.<ref name="fp"/>{{rp|492}} Traditionally, the wine was taken downriver in flat-bottom boats called '[[Rabelo boat|barcos rabelos]]', to be processed and stored.<ref name="fp"/>{{rp|305}} In the 1950s and 1960s, several [[hydroelectric power]] dams were built along the river, ending this traditional conveyance. Currently, the wine is transported from the vineyards by [[tanker truck]]s and the ''barcos rabelos'' are only used for racing and other displays.

==Properties==
Port wine is typically richer, sweeter, heavier, and higher in alcohol content than unfortified wines. This is caused by the addition of distilled grape spirits that fortify the wine, but also halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol, and results in a wine that is usually 19% to 20% alcohol.

Port is commonly served after meals as a [[dessert wine]] in English-speaking countries, often with cheese, nuts, or chocolate; white and tawny ports are often served as an [[apéritif]]. In continental Europe, all types of ports are frequently consumed as apéritifs.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}

==Styles==
Port from Portugal comes in several styles, which can be divided into two broad categories: wines matured in sealed glass bottles, and wines that have matured in wooden barrels.

The former, without exposure to air, experience what is known as "reductive" ageing. This process leads to the wine losing its color very slowly and produces a wine that is smoother on the palate and less tannic.

The latter, being matured in wooden barrels, whose permeability allows a small amount of exposure to oxygen, experience what is known as "oxidative" aging. They too lose color, but at a faster pace. They also lose volume to evaporation ([[angel's share]]), leaving behind a wine that is slightly more viscous.

The IVDP (''[[Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto]]'') further divides ports into two categories: normal ports (standard ruby, three-year-old tawny, and white) and ''Categorias Especiais'', special categories, which include everything else.

===Ruby===
The most common type, ruby port is stored in tanks of concrete or [[stainless steel]] after fermentation, to prevent oxidative aging and preserve its bright red color and full-bodied fruitiness.<ref name=ruby>{{Cite web|url=https://www.portwine.com/products/rubyports.html|title=Ruby Port |quote=Ruby Port is young, full-bodied, blended in the style of individual port producers. It is aged for two or three years in large vats to keep oxidation to a minimum. ... Premium Rubys are of better quality and aged in wood for four to six years.|website=The Port Wine Store|access-date=1 February 2024}}</ref> The wine is usually blended to match the style of the brand to which it is to be sold. The wine is [[fined (wine)|fined]] and [[cold filtered]] before bottling and does not generally improve with age, although premium rubies are aged in wood from four to six years.<ref name=ruby/>

====Reserve====
Reserve ruby is a premium ruby port approved by the IVDP's tasting panel, the {{lang|pt|Câmara de Provadores}}. In 2002 the IVDP prohibited the use of the term "vintage character", as reserve ruby port had neither a single vintage (usually being a blend of several vintages of the ruby) nor the typical character of vintage port.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbr.com/region-4385-vintage-character |title=Vintage Character |publisher=[[Berry Bros. & Rudd]] |access-date=28 October 2013}}</ref>

====Rose====
Rose port is a very recent variation on the market, first released in 2008 by Poças and by Croft, part of the [[Taylor, Fladgate, & Yeatman|Taylor Fladgate Partnership]]. It is technically a ruby port, but fermented in a similar manner to a [[rosé wine]], with limited exposure to the grape skins, thus creating the rose color.

===Tawny===
Tawny ports are wines usually made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result of this oxidation, they mellow to a golden-brown color. The exposure to oxygen imparts "nutty" flavours to the wine, which is blended to match the house style. They are sweet or medium dry and typically consumed as a dessert wine, but can also pair with a main course.<ref name="fp"/>{{rp|492}}

When a port is described as tawny, without an indication of age, it is a basic blend of wood-aged port that has spent time in wooden barrels, typically at least three years.

Reserve tawny port (produced by Borges, Calem, Croft, Cruz, [[Graham's|Graham]], Kopke, and other houses) has been aged about seven years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/port/understanding-tawny-port-347710/|title=Understanding Tawny Port|last=Mayson|first=Richard|date=10 December 2016|website=Decanter|language=en-US|access-date=21 June 2019}}</ref>

Above this are tawny with an indication of age, which represent a blend of several vintages. The target age profile, in years in wood, is stated on the label, usually 10, 20, 30, or 40 years. These ports are produced by most houses.

It is also possible to produce an aged white port in this manner, with some shippers now marketing aged white ports.

In some places, such as Canada<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Robert |title=They called it Port |url=http://www.winesofcanada.com/featured_wine_port.html |website=Wines of Canada |access-date=29 December 2019}}</ref> and Australia,<ref>{{cite web |title=Labelling law change: Australian 'sherry' and 'port' forbidden|url=https://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2011/11/30/labelling-law-change-australian-%E2%80%98sherry%E2%80%99-and-%E2%80%98port%E2%80%99-forbidden.html |website=Australian Food News | access-date=16 August 2021}}</ref> 'tawny' may also be used to describe any port-style wine that is not produced in Portugal, in accordance with an agreement with the EU.

====Colheita====
Colheita port is a single-vintage tawny port<ref>{{cite web|title=What's the difference between Vintage Port, Late-Bottled Vintage, and Colheita?|url=http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40319|website=Wine Spectator|access-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516174352/http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40319|archive-date=16 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=T.|first1=Stewart|title=What is Colheita Port?|url=https://www.fortheloveofport.com/faq-items/colheita-port/|website=For the Love of Port|access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref> aged for at least seven years, with the vintage year on the bottle instead of a category of age (10, 20, etc.). Colheita port should not be confused with a vintage port: a vintage port will spend only about 18 months in barrels after harvest and will continue to mature in bottles, but a Colheita may have spent 20 or more years in wooden barrels before being bottled and sold. White Colheitas have also been produced.

===Garrafeira===
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2018}}
Unusual and rare, vintage-dated Garrafeira combines the oxidative maturation of years in wood with further reductive maturation in large glass [[demijohn]]s. It is required by the IVDP that wines spend some time in wood, usually between three and six years, followed by at least a further eight years in glass, before bottling. In practice, the times spent in glass are much longer. The style is associated with the company Niepoort, although others do exist. Their dark green demijohns, known as bon-bons, hold approximately {{convert|11|L}} each. Some connoisseurs describe Garrafeira as having a slight taste of bacon, the reason being that, during the second phase of maturation, certain oils may precipitate, causing a film to form across the surface of the glass.

Confusingly, the word Garrafeira may also be found on some very old tawny labels, where the contents of the bottle are of exceptional age.

===White port===
White port is made from white grapes, such as ''Malvasia Fina'', ''Donzelinho'', ''Gouveio'', ''Codega'' and ''Rabigato'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 February 2024 |title=Types of Port Wine: An In-Depth Guide to Portugal's Famous Drink |url=https://www.agcte.com/travel-journal/portugal/porto/types-of-port-wine-an-in-depth-guide-to-portugals-famous-drink/ |website=Avant-Garde Community Travel Experiences}}</ref> Taylor introduced Chip Dry, a new style of white apéritif Port, in 1934.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} Made from traditional white grape varieties, it is fermented for longer than usual to give it a crisp dry finish.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

===Late bottled vintage===
Late bottled vintage (often referred to simply as LBV) was originally wine that had been destined for bottling as vintage port, but due to lack of demand was left in the barrel for longer than had been planned. Over time it has become two distinct styles of wine, both of them bottled between four and six years after the vintage, but one style is fined and filtered before bottling, while the other is not.<ref name='Mayson 2015'>{{cite web|last1=Mayson|first1=Richard|title=Vintage Port|url=http://www.decanter.com/learn/vintage-port-283115/|website=Decanter|date=15 August 2014|publisher=Time (UK) |access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref>

The accidental origin of late bottled vintage has led to more than one company claiming its invention. The earliest known reference to a style of port with this name in a merchant's list is to be found in The Wine Society's catalogue from 1964, which includes Fonseca's Quinta Milieu 1958, bottled in the UK, also in 1964. By the 1962 vintage, LBV was being produced in Portugal and bottled as LBV.

LBV is intended to provide some of the experience of drinking a vintage port but without the need for lengthy bottle ageing. To a limited extent, it succeeds, as the extra years of oxidative ageing in the barrel does mature the wine more quickly.

====Unfiltered====
Unfiltered LBVs are mostly bottled with conventional driven corks and need to be decanted. After decanting they should be consumed within a few days. Recent bottlings are identified by the label "unfiltered", "bottle matured", or both. Since the 2002 regulations, bottles that carry the words "bottle matured" must have enjoyed at least three years of bottle maturation before release. Before 2002 this style was often marketed as "traditional", a description that is no longer permitted. Unfiltered LBV will usually be improved by extra years in the bottle.<ref name='Mayson 2015'/> It can age as long as vintage ports and are very difficult to identify as LBVs when inserted into blind tastings of vintage ports.

====Filtered====
[[File:Kedem New York State Port.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|A bottle of filtered [[New York wine|New York State]], [[Kosher]] port wine]]

The filtered wine has the advantage of being ready to drink without [[Decanter|decanting]] and is usually bottled in a stoppered bottle that can be easily resealed. However, many wine experts feel that this convenience comes at a price and believe that the filtration process strips out much of the character of the wine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailynews.com/wineline/ci_3870050|publisher=L.A. Daily News|first=Larry |last=Lipson|title=To filter or not to filter? That is the question|date=26 May 2006|access-date=28 September 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902101625/http://www.dailynews.com/wineline/ci_3870050|archive-date=2 September 2006}}</ref>

Typically ready to drink when released, filtered LBV ports tend to be lighter-bodied than vintage ports. Filtered LBVs can improve with age, but only to a limited degree.

===Crusted===
Crusted port is usually a blend of several vintages.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mayson|first1=Richard|title=Know your Port|url=http://www.decanter.com/features/know-your-port-245665/|website=Decanter|date=15 August 2014|publisher=Time (UK) |access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref> Unlike vintage port, which has to be sourced from grapes from a single vintage, crusted port affords the port blender the opportunity to make best use of the varying characteristics of different vintages.

Crusted port is bottled unfiltered and sealed with a driven cork. Like vintage port, it needs to be decanted before drinking.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crusted Port|url=http://www.fonseca.pt/en/port/wood/ruby-port/crusted-port/|website=Fonseca Porto|publisher=Fonseca Port Wine|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Graham's Crusted Port|url=https://www.grahams-port.com/wines/bottle-aged-ports/crusted-port|publisher=Graham's Port|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref>

===Vintage port===
[[File:Delaforce 1985 Vintage Port - 2020-08-08 - Andy Mabbett - 02.png|thumb|upright=0.5|Delaforce 1985 vintage port]]

Vintage ports may be aged in barrels or stainless steel for a maximum of two and a half years before bottling, and generally require another 10 to 40 years of aging in the bottle before reaching what is considered a proper drinking age. Since they are potentially aged in a cask for only a short time, they retain their dark ruby color and fresh fruit flavours. Particularly fine vintage ports can continue to gain complexity for many decades after they were bottled. It is not uncommon for 19th-century bottles to still be in perfect condition for consumption. The oldest known vintage port still available as of 2018 from a shipper is the 1815 Ferreira.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sotheby's auctions 1815 'Waterloo Vintage' port for record sum|url=https://algarvedailynews.com/news/5555-sotheby-s-auctions-1815-waterloo-vintage-port-for-record-sum|access-date=15 May 2018|work=Algarve Daily News|date=8 May 2015}}</ref> A tasting in 1990 described it as having an "intensely spicy aroma – cinnamon, pepper, and ginger – hints of exotic woods, iodine, and wax".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alexander|first1=Saffron|title=Rare bottle of port that dates from Battle of Waterloo to be auctioned|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11576938/Rare-bottle-of-port-that-dates-from-Battle-of-Waterloo-to-be-auctioned.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11576938/Rare-bottle-of-port-that-dates-from-Battle-of-Waterloo-to-be-auctioned.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=15 May 2018|work=The Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited|date=1 May 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Vintage port is made entirely from the grapes of a declared vintage year. While it is by far the most renowned type of port, from a volume and revenue standpoint, vintage port accounts for only about two percent of overall port production. Not every year is declared a vintage in the Douro. The decision on whether to declare a vintage is made early in the second year following the harvest. The decision to declare a vintage is made by each individual port house often referred to as a "shipper".

Much of the complex character of aged vintage port comes from the continued slow decomposition of grape solids in each bottle. These solids are undesirable when the port is consumed, and thus vintage port typically requires a period of settling before decanting and pouring.

====Single quinta vintage port====
Single quinta vintage ports are wines that originate from a single estate, unlike the standard bottlings of the port wine houses which can be sourced from a number of quintas. Single quinta bottlings are used in two ways by producers. Most of the large port wine houses have a single quinta bottling which is only produced in some years when the regular vintage port of the house is not declared. In those years, wine from their best quinta is still bottled under a vintage designation, rather than being used for simpler port qualities.<ref name='Mayson 2015'/>

==Vintages==
[[File:Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 1963.jpg|thumb|125px|A bottle of [[Quinta do Noval]] vintage port 1963]]

The term [[vintage]] has a distinct meaning in the context of vintage port. While vintage is simply the year in which a wine is made, most producers of vintage port restrict their production of year-labelled bottlings to only the best years, a few per decade. Contrast with [[second wine]]s, where (primarily) Bordeaux producers release a year-labelled top wine almost every year, but also lesser quality wines in some years.

If a port house decides that its wine is of a quality sufficient for a vintage, samples are sent to the IVDP for approval and the house declares the vintage. In very good years, almost all the port houses will declare their wines.

In intermediate years, the producers of blended vintage ports will not declare their flagship port but may declare the vintage of a single quinta, e.g., the 1996 Dow's Quinta do Bomfim and Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas. Some houses declare their wines in all but the worst years: Quinta do Vesuvio has declared a vintage every year with the exceptions of 1993, 2002, and 2014.

Improved wine-making technologies and better weather forecasts during the harvest have increased the number of years in which a vintage can be declared. Although there have been years when only one or two wines have been declared, it has been over thirty years since there was a year with no declarations at all.

2016 was declared a vintage year by most producers,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/05/2016-port-classic-but-tiny/|title=2016 Port: 'Classic' But Tiny|last=Millar|first=Rupert|date=23 May 2018|website=The Drinks Business|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref> as was 2011.<ref name=ws/> The quality of the grape harvest was attributed to ideal rainfall and temperature.<ref name=winedetective>{{cite web |url=http://thewinedetective.co.uk/blog/portugal/tried-tasted-sandeman-ferreira-offley-2011-vintage-ports |title=Tried & tasted: Sandeman, Ferreira & Offley 2011 Vintage Ports |author=Sarah Ahmed |website=thewinedetective.co.uk/|date=29 April 2013 |access-date=27 November 2015}}</ref> Other recent widely declared vintage years were 2007, 2003, 2000, 1997 and 1994.<ref name=ws>{{cite news |last=Antunes |first=Luis |date=24 April 2013 |title= Major Port Houses Declare 2011 Vintage|url=http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/48345 |newspaper=Wine Spectator |access-date=27 November 2015 }}</ref>

==History and tradition==
{{See also|History of Portuguese wine}}

The wine-producing Douro region is the third oldest protected [[appellation|wine region]] in the world after [[Chianti]], in 1716, and [[Tokaj]], in 1730.

In 1756, during the rule of the [[Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal|Marquis of Pombal]], the [[Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro]] (C.G.A.V.A.D., also known as the General Company of Viticulture of the Upper Douro or [[Douro Wine Company]]), was founded to guarantee the quality of the product and fair pricing to the end consumer. The C.G.A.V.A.D. was also in charge of regulating which port wine would be for export or internal consumption and managing the protected geographic indication.<ref name="ocw"/>{{rp|536–540}}

In 1678, a Liverpool wine merchant sent two new representatives to [[Viana do Castelo Municipality|Viana do Castelo]], north of Oporto, to learn the wine trade. While on a vacation in the Douro, the two gentlemen visited the Abbot of Lamego, who treated them to a "very agreeable, sweetish and extremely smooth" wine, which had been fortified with a distilled spirit. The two Englishmen were so pleased with the product that they purchased the abbot's entire lot and shipped it home.<ref name="Southeby's pg 334">{{Cite book |last=Stevenson |first=Tom |title=The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia |date=2007 |publisher=DK |others=Sotheby's |isbn=978-0-7566-3164-2 |edition=4th |location=New York City |oclc=148799493}}</ref>

Port became very popular in England after the [[Methuen Treaty]] of 1703, when merchants were permitted to import it at a low duty, while war with France deprived English wine drinkers of [[French wine]]. British importers could be credited for recognising that a smooth, already fortified wine that would appeal to English palates would survive the trip to London.

[[File:Bodega Sandeman, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, 2012-05-09, DD 06.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Sandeman cellar, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal]]

The continued British involvement in the port trade can be seen in the names of many port shippers and brands: Broadbent, [[Cockburn's Port House|Cockburn]], Croft, Dow, Gould Campbell, Graham, Osborne, Offley, [[Sandeman (wine)|Sandeman]], [[Taylor, Fladgate, & Yeatman|Taylor]], and Warre being amongst the best known. Shippers of Dutch and German origin are also prominent, such as Niepoort and Burmester. The British involvement grew so strong that they formed a trade association that became a [[Factory House|gentlemen's club]]. A few port shippers and producers were also established by native Portuguese families: Ferreira and Quinta do Crasto are among the best. Both Ferreira and Quinta do Crasto can be credited for pioneering the Douro as a table-wine-producing region, Ferreira making Barca Velha since 1952 and Quinta do Crasto becoming the second producer of note, starting in the early 1990s.

==Storing and serving==
{{See also|Aging of wine}}

Port, like other wine, should be stored in a cool but not cold, dark location (as light can damage the port), at a steady temperature (such as a cellar), with the bottle laid on its side if it has a cork, or standing up if it is stoppered.<ref name="PortwineA">{{cite web |url=http://www.portwine.com/storing.htm |website=Portwine.com  |title=Storing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217170738/http://portwine.com/storing.htm |archive-date=17 February 2009 |access-date=27 December 2007}}</ref> With the exception of white port, which can be served chilled, the port should be served at between {{convert|15|and(-)|20|C}}. Tawny port may also be served slightly cooler.<ref name="PortwineB">{{cite web |url=http://www.portwine.com/what-is-port/enjoying.php |website=Portwine.com |title=Enjoying |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212033015/http://www.portwine.com/what-is-port/enjoying.php |archive-date=12 December 2007 |access-date=27 December 2007}}</ref>

Port wines that are unfiltered (such as vintage ports, crusted ports, and some LBVs) form a [[sediment]] (or crust) in the bottle and require [[Decanter|decanting]]. This process also allows the port to breathe (allowing the wine to mix with oxygen).<ref name="ukwinesOL-Decant">{{cite web |url=http://ukwinesonline.co.uk/wp/decanting-port/ |website=UKwinesOnline |title=Decanting port Info |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010010841/http://ukwinesonline.co.uk/wp/decanting-port/ |archive-date=10 October 2016 |access-date=3 July 2008}}</ref>

A traditional method of opening a vintage port is with [[port tongs]]. The tongs are heated over a flame and applied to the bottle's neck. The bottleneck is cooled with cold water, causing a clean break. This avoids the use of a corkscrew on an older cork, which would otherwise break apart and crumble into the wine.

Once opened, a port generally lasts longer than unfortified wine, but it is still best consumed within a short period of time. Tawny, ruby, and LBV ports may keep for several months once opened; because they are aged longer in barrels, these ports have already been exposed to some degree of [[oxidation]]. Old vintage ports are best consumed within several days of opening, but young vintage ports can be kept open for several weeks, if not months when very young.<ref name="Wine Lovers">{{Cite web|title=Words About Port: A quick overview|url=http://www.wineloverspage.com/wlp_archive/port/jbl030197.shtml|access-date=11 January 2023|website=Wine Lovers' Page}}</ref><ref name=voss>{{cite news |last1=Voss |first1=Rogeer |title=5 Misconceptions of Vintage Port |work=[[Wine Enthusiast Magazine]] |date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

Tradition in the United Kingdom calls for the port being served at a formal dinner to be passed to the left ("pass the port to [[port and starboard|port]]") and for the bottle or decanter not to touch the table on its way around,<ref name="Telegraph – To The Left">{{cite news |title=Pass the Port: Why do you pass to the left |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6231365/Pass-the-port-Why-do-you-pass-to-the-left.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6231365/Pass-the-port-Why-do-you-pass-to-the-left.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=26 September 2009 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=27 September 2010 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> though some cultures reject this tradition.<ref name="Serving Vintage Port">{{Cite web |title=How to Serve Vintage Port |url=http://www.vintageport.biz/how_to_serve_vintage_port.html|access-date=11 January 2023|website=vintageport.biz}}</ref> If a diner fails to pass the port, others at the table may ask "Do you know the [[Bishop of Norwich#Port-passing etiquette|Bishop of Norwich]]?"<ref name="The Bishop of Norwich">{{Cite web |url=http://www.taylor.pt/en/enjoy-port-wine/traditions/bishop-of-norwich/ |url-status=dead |title=The Bishop of Norwich |access-date=7 August 2014 |website=Taylor Fladgate |archive-date=5 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705175047/http://www.taylor.pt/en/enjoy-port-wine/traditions/bishop-of-norwich/ }}</ref>{{snd}}the question acts as a reminder to pass the port, for those who know the story, and an opportunity to tell the story to those who have not heard it.

==Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto==
{{See also|Quinta classification of Port vineyards in the Douro}}
The Port and Douro Wines Institute is an official body belonging to the [[Ministry of Agriculture]] of [[Portugal]] and is a key institution in promoting the industry and knowledge of making port wine. It was previously known as the Instituto do Vinho do Porto.<ref name="IVDP Presentation">{{cite web |url=http://www.ivp.pt/pagina.asp?codPag=61&codSeccao=1&idioma=1 |title=The Port and Douro Wines Institute |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref>

==Port houses==
Producers of port wine are often called "shippers". In the early history of the port wine trade, many of the most powerful shipping families were British (English and Scottish) and Irish; this history can still be seen in the names of many of the most famous port wines, such as [[Samuel Dow|Dow’s]], [[Graham's]],[[Sandeman (wine)| Sandeman]], [[Churchill's Port|Churchill's]],[[Cockburn's Port House| Cockburn's]] and [[Taylor, Fladgate, & Yeatman|Taylor’s]]. Over the years Portuguese, as well as Dutch and German-owned shippers have also become prevalent in the port industry.

[[Porto]], a [[World Heritage Site]], is home to many famous port houses located near the [[Douro River]], making the shipping of port wine easy. Some of these port houses are private, while others are open to public tours and visits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/portugal-douro/index.html|title=The world's most stunning wine region?|first=Paul |last=Ames|date=2 August 2016|publisher=CNN|language=en|access-date=12 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oportoguide.pt/caves-do-vinho-do-porto/|title=Caves do Vinho do Porto – AEVP|website=Oporto Guide|access-date=12 February 2019}}</ref>

==As a historical remedy for illness==
Port has been used in the past as a healing agent in earlier remedies. The British Prime Minister [[Pitt the Younger|William Pitt the Younger]] was given port for [[gout]] as a boy. He began at the age of 14 (1773) with a bottle a day according to J. Ehrman (1969), ''The Younger Pitt''.<ref name= J.Ehrman>{{Cite book |last=Ehrman |first=John |title=The Younger Pitt |date=2004 |publisher=Constable |isbn=978-1-84529-142-6 |location=London |oclc=1181745660}}</ref> Heavy alcohol consumption is known to exacerbate gout.<!-- see gout article for references -->

A recurring theme in the novels of [[Anthony Trollope]] is the partiality of respectable elderly ladies for port, which they excuse on the grounds that it is "medicinal".

==Chemistry==
Aged port wine contains a family of bluish phenolic pigments called [[portosin]]s (vinylpyranoanthocyanins)<ref>{{Cite journal|pmc=1082895|pmid=15577193|year=2004|last1=Mateus|first1=N|last2=Oliveira|first2=J|last3=Haettich-Motta|first3=M|last4=De Freitas|first4=V|title=New Family of Bluish Pyranoanthocyanins|volume=2004|issue=5|pages=299–305|doi=10.1155/S1110724304404033|journal=Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology|doi-access=free}}</ref> and [[oxovitisin A]], an [[oxovitisin]], a type of [[pyranoanthocyanin]] with a [[2-pyrone]] component.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = He | first1 = Jingren | last2 = Oliveira | first2 = Joana | last3 = Silva | first3 = Artur M. S. | last4 = Mateus | first4 = Nuno | last5 = De Freitas | first5 = Victor | year = 2010 | title = Oxovitisins: A New Class of Neutral Pyranone-anthocyanin Derivatives in Red Wines | journal = J. Agric. Food Chem. | volume = 58 | issue = 15| pages = 8814–8819 | doi = 10.1021/jf101408q | pmid=20608752}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Wine}}
* [[List of Portuguese wine regions]]
* [[Madeira wine]]
* [[Port wine cheese]], a cheese made with wine.
* [[Portello (soft drink)|Portello]], a non-alcoholic soft drink based on the flavour of the wine.
* [[Sherry]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://www.ivdp.pt/ Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto] Port and Douro Wines Institute official site, Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture

{{Alcoholic beverages}}
{{Wine cocktails}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Port wine}}
[[Category:Port wine| ]]
[[Category:Portuguese products with protected designation of origin]]