3. Port Flashcards
Port is a sweet, fortified wine hailing from the ______ region of Portugal.
Port is a sweet, fortified wine hailing from the Douro region of Portugal.
Describe the historical beginnings of Port until the 20th century.
It originates from trade wars between England and France in the 17th century, causing England to increase trade with Portugal. The powerful red wines became popular in England, and brandy started to be added to stabilize the dry wines and make sure they arrived in England in good condition.
The practice of fortifying the wine during fermentation started when two British merchants visited the Abbot of Lamego and found the sweet wines made there were of a higher quality than the dry wines they had seen anywhere else and shipped the entire stocks to England.
At the same time, a number of the famous Port shippers were established including Kopke, Warre, Croft, Quarles Harris and Taylor’s. Traditionally, shippers were agents that took a commission for shipping Port abroad or acquired Port from brokers in the Douro and then stored them in ‘lodges’ (wine cellars/warehouses) in Vila Nova de Gaia (located on opposite side of the mouth of the River Douro to Porto), prior to onward shipment overseas. However, most shippers have since become producers and have become dominant players in the production of Port, with their own vineyards, wineries and bottling facilities.
The signing of the Methuen Treaty in 1703 ensured that Portuguese wines received lower rates of duty in England than those of any other country. Port’s popularity led to the production of large amounts of poor-quality Port-style wines (using poor quality spirit, thin wines, and bolstering colour with additions such as elderberry juice). Poor quality meant that demand slumped, leading to over-supply and falling grape and wine prices. In action against this, in 1756, the Port vineyards were officially demarcated, and production regulations drawn up by the prime minister of the time, the Marquês de Pombal. At the same time, Pombal created the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro, often referred to as Real Companhia Velha, from which all Ports for export had to be bought. The Companhia was also empowered to fix prices and was given the exclusive right to supply the spirit used in fortification. Although a number of the decrees passed by the Pombal were far from popular, sales volumes and prices of Port began to rise once again.
The early 19th century was challenging as the Douro and wider Portugal suffered through the Peninsular Wars and Portuguese Civil War. Later in the century the vineyards were hit by both mildew and then phylloxera, and many small growers and producers needed to sell their land and properties in order to survive. The shippers took advantage of low prices and started to own vineyards and quintas (estates).
What is the Companhia Geral de Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro?
Also known as Real Companhia Velha, Portugal’s prime minister in 1756 - The Marquēs de Pomba - created this company from which all Ports for export had to be bought. They were empowered to fix prices and were given exclusive rights to supply the spirit used in fortification.
Define quintas in Port.
Estates in Port.
The first half of the 20th century (1933) saw the creation of the ____________________ responsible for the administration and supervision of the Port industry and the Casa do Douro (1932), a secondary authority to supervise the growers within the Port demarcation.
The first half of the 20th century (1933) saw the creation of the Intituto do Vinho do Porto (IVP) responsible for the administration and supervision of the Port industry and the Casa do Douro (1932), a secondary authority to supervise the growers within the Port demarcation.
Just after this time, vineyard parcels in the Douro were rated A through to I based on their suitability for producing Port; a classification that remains today. The Casa do Douro and then the IVP also controlled the purchase of the spirit with which producers could fortify their wines.
Define aguardente.
The spirit, essentially grape brandy, used to fortify Port.
A number of other influential developments for Port occurred at the end of the 20th Century and start of the 21st. What were they?
- In the early 1980s, the World Bank Scheme offered low-interest loans to Douro growers who could plant or replant up to 10 hectares of vineyard provided that the land was classified as being of either A or B grade and that only five prescribed varieties were used. Some of the major shippers, including Cockburn’s, Ferreira and Ramos Pinto, together with the local university joined to fund a vineyard research programme. Around 2,500 ha of vineyards were planted on wider terraces called patamares, and with blocks of the prescribed varieties (compared to the usual field blend).
- In 1986, Portugal entered the EU and as a consequence by 1991, producers were permitted to source and buy their own aguardente on the open market, leading to a rise in quality in the spirit used and hence of Port overall.
- In 1990, the Casa do Douro controversially bought 40% of the shares in one of the largest shippers of the time, Royal Oporto. Although it was thought to allow growers to trade their own products, the venture was not a success and a few years later the Casa do Douro became bankrupt. In 2003, a new interprofessional body the Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro (IVDP) was created to supervise both Port and Douro wine producers, reflecting the growing importance of dry Douro wines alongside Port.
- In the first decades of the 21st century, developments have continued to be made. A number of issues were found with the first patamares and now a newer, improved version has been developed. Despite a continued focus on the five prescribed varieties, other local grape varieties are increasingly being noted and used for the characteristics they can bring to a blend. In the winery, depopulation in vineyard areas has meant that alternative solutions to traditional foot treading continue to be perfected and are now used for wines of all levels of quality.
Define patamares.
A patamar is a wide, modern vineyard terrace. As opposed to the traditional historic walled terraces on which the oldest Port vineyards are planted, patamares are not supported by dry stone walls. They are constructed using earth moving equipment and are separated by tall earth banks.
Patamares were constructed extensively in the 1970s and 80s throughout the Douro Valley. However today many of these are being replaced with planting in vertical rows, running perpendicularly up the hillsides, a technique known as vinha ao alto. Vinha ao alto has several environmental and quality advantages over patamares but can only be carried out on hillsides with gradients of up to about 30%.
