Introduction to Port Wine Production
Port wine production is a unique and traditional process that involves fermenting grapes until half of the sugar is converted to alcohol, then adding a neutral grape spirit to kill the yeast, resulting in a wine with natural sugar and an alcohol level of 20 percent.
What Makes Port Wine Unique
- Authentic port can only be made in the Demarcated Douro Valley in northern Portugal, a region of mountain viticulture with hot summers and cold winters.
- The Duoro Valley’s arid conditions lead to high sugar levels and concentrated colors in its local, drought-resistant grape varieties, such as Torriga.
- The process of fortification differentiates port wine from regular wine, allowing it to age and resulting in a sweet taste.
History and Trade of Port Wine
Portugal’s wine industry gained popularity in the UK after Britain imposed high taxes on French wines, making Portuguese wines a sought-after alternative. The UK’s expansion across the world with its empire led to the spread of drinking port.
Traditional Port Wine Production at Taylor’s
Taylor’s, a founding port house established in 1692, owns 500 hectares of vineyards in the Duoro Valley. The company’s prestigious estate, Quinta de Vagelos, harvests grapes by hand, and at sunset, the pickers move indoors to press the grapes by foot in a traditional granite fermenter, producing high-quality port using the traditional method of foot treading.
The Port Wine Making Process
- Foot treading: a traditional method of winemaking that involves labor-intensive techniques like foot treading, fermentation, and use of wooden plungers to keep grape skins in contact with extracted juice.
- Fortification: the juice is fortified with a neutral grape spirit to raise the alcohol level to 20 percent.
- Aging: the style of port wine will be decided in January after six months of resting in wooden baths, when winemakers taste it and determine the aging process, which can result in different styles, such as aged tawnies or vintage port.
Authenticating Port Wine
To spot authentic Port, look for the official certifying body’s seal on the bottle. Regulations within the European Union ensure that only authentic Port from the Douro Valley can be labeled as such.
Key Vocabulary
| Term | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Fermenting | The process of converting sugar into alcohol using yeast or bacteria. | Grapes are fermented until half of the sugar is converted to alcohol to produce port wine. |
| Fortification | The process of adding a neutral grape spirit to wine to raise its alcohol level. | Port wine is fortified with a neutral grape spirit to raise the alcohol level to 20 percent. |
| Viticulture | The cultivation of grapes for wine production. | The Demarcated Douro Valley in northern Portugal is a region of mountain viticulture. |
| Arid | Very dry and hot, with little rainfall. | The Duoro Valley’s arid conditions lead to high sugar levels and concentrated colors in its local grape varieties. |
| Drought-resistant | Able to survive with little water. | The local grape varieties in the Duoro Valley, such as Torriga, are drought-resistant. |
| Fortified wine | A type of wine that has been strengthened with a neutral grape spirit. | Port wine is a type of fortified wine with an alcohol level of 20 percent. |
| Foot treading | A traditional method of winemaking that involves crushing grapes by foot. | At Taylor’s, grapes are harvested by hand and then pressed by foot in a traditional granite fermenter. |
| Granite fermenter | A container made of granite used for fermenting grapes. | At Taylor’s, grapes are pressed by foot in a traditional granite fermenter. |
| Wooden plunger | A tool used to keep grape skins in contact with extracted juice during fermentation. | Wooden plungers are used in the traditional method of foot treading to keep grape skins in contact with extracted juice. |
| Aging process | The process of allowing wine to mature and develop its flavor and character over time. | The style of port wine will be decided after six months of resting in wooden baths, when winemakers taste it and determine the aging process. |
| Tawny | A type of port wine that has been aged for a long time, giving it a nutty flavor and a tawny color. | Aged tawnies are one of the styles of port wine that can result from the aging process. |
| Vintage port | A type of port wine that is made from grapes from a single harvest year and is considered to be of high quality. | Vintage port is one of the styles of port wine that can result from the aging process. |
| Demarcated | Officially defined or designated as a specific area or region. | The Demarcated Douro Valley in northern Portugal is the only region where authentic port can be made. |
| Authentic | Genuine or real, not fake or imitation. | To spot authentic Port, look for the official certifying body’s seal on the bottle. |
How Portuguese Port Wine Is Made In The Douro Valley | Regional Eats 🎓
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Grammar Focus
Grammar Focus: The Use of the Passive Voice in Technical Descriptions
The passive voice is often used in technical descriptions to focus on the process or action rather than the person performing it. In the context of port wine production, the passive voice is used to describe the various stages of the process, such as fermentation, fortification, and aging. For example, ‘the grapes are fermented until half of the sugar is converted to alcohol’ or ‘the juice is fortified with a neutral grape spirit’. This grammatical structure helps to emphasize the steps involved in the process and makes the text more formal and objective.
