The origins of modern day Porto Port Wine date back to 1820
August 29, 2011
Only after the British discovered Port Wine at the end of the 17th century, did the fame of its fine quality start spreading all over the world. In the middle 1750’s, the Portuguese authorities started controlling all the aspects of Port Wine production, including the demarcation of the boundaries of the Douro region.
This Douro valley region produces the grapes that give rise to the only authentic Porto. A large number of the wineries housed in lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, where most of the Port Wines are blended and aged, have English names, attesting to the British origins of their founders. One of these founders, Joseph Forrester, obtained the title of baron in 1855 for his efforts at reforming the port trade. Croft was one of the first big shippers, followed by other English and Scottish firms, and much of the port trade is still in British control. The more well known names include Graham, Cockburn, Warre, Taylor, Krohn, Niepoort, Dow and Churchill. Some of the Portuguese traditional wine estates, called quintas, are Ferreira and Quinta do Infantado.
The origins of modern day Porto date back to 1820, when that particular harvest yielded a very sweet and rich wine. The reasons for its original sweetness lay in the exceptional ripeness of that vintage, which naturally allowed some of the grape sugars to stay. This rich and fortified Porto is now obtained by adding 20 % brandy (aguardente) to the liquid volume to arrest fermentation, and to maintain about 10% of the residual sugar. Fermentation of the grapes occurs now in large stainless steel tanks, and after it is stopped, the must is allowed to settle for a few months in large oak vats. The juice is then moved into 115-gallon oak casks (pipas) where it matures.
Presently, the Porto Wine Institute and the Casa do Douro oversee its production and guarantee quality control.
Types of Grapes
What gives Porto its unique quality, aroma, and flavor are the original combination of soil, climate, and grapes found in Portugal’s Upper Douro River Valley which stretches 62 miles to the Spanish border. There are five main grape varieties known for their superb quality. They are Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cao, and Touriga Francesa, and they grow in a predominantly schistous, rocky and acidic soil. The vine roots grow very deep down through the fissures in the schist to find water in natural reservoirs. These vines grow in terraces along the steep riverbanks, and their grapes are harvested between September 15 and October 15.
Most Popular Styles of Ports in the Market
All ports, apart from vintage, are matured in oak casks in the port lodges. Once bottled, they are ready for drinking and do not require decanting. The tawnies are lighter in taste and color than ruby, but they are all blended from several wines.
Tawny Porto – This wine is less sweet and lighter than ruby or vintage ports. It is blended from wines of different years, usually no more than three years old. The lighter tawnies have been blended with white port.
Tawny with Indication of Age – This famous Port pales to an amber color as it ages. Its aroma and flavor characteristics are the craft of a master blender, the person who creates the uniqueness of each of these wines. Aged Tawny may be labeled as 10, 20, or 30 years old, referring to the average age of its blend of old and young wines.
Vintage Porto – is characterized by its intense red color, full body, and complexity of flavor. In years of outstanding harvest quality, the producer must declare their best wine as “vintage”, and submit a sample bottle to be approved by the Porto Wine Institute after January of the second year from the harvest. The norm is to leave the wine in the cask for 2 to 3 years, and then age it in bottles for many years, where the best ones continue to improve indefinitely.
Late Bottled Vintage – is less rich and concentrated than Vintage Porto, and throws little sediment in the bottle. Its quality must also be approved by the institute. Then it is left in the cask for four to six years, filtered, and bottled as a ready to drink wine.
How to Store and Serve Vintage Porto
The bottles should be stored on their side and in the same position to prevent the cork from drying out. They should be kept under fairly constant temperature -between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity not dropping below 50%.
Vintage Porto must always be decanted before drinking, due to its large amount of sediment. Decanting is done by simply leaving the bottle upright for a full day, and then pouring the contents slowly into a glass decanter, being careful not to dislodge the sediment at the bottom. When sediment begins to show on the bottleneck, stop and discard the rest.
Porto tongs may be necessary to use to remove the cork of bottles more than 30 years old. The metal portion is heated up until it becomes red hot, and then immediately placed around the neck of the bottle for a few seconds. After pouring cold water over the neck, the cork can be removed with one pull.
The Art of Drinking Port Wine
The rich, full-bodied types of Porto are usually drunk after a meal, but the lighter Tawny and White varieties are highly appreciated as an apéritif before a meal. Nuts and cheeses, or pies and cakes are a good choice to accompany Porto, or even melon, depending on the mood of the party. To best bring its aroma out, pour it into a 5-6 ounce stemmed glass with sides that slope inward, filling it half to 2/3rds way.
Source: http://www.portugal.com/information/portwine
Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars based in Clark Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation. This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampana Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila. Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.
This wine shop in Angeles Clark Philippines is also renowned for a very unique product called Vintage Beer which many characterize as “Champagne beer” because it comes in a bottle with a Champagne stopper and metal restrainer. Vintage beers are top-of-the-line luxury beers bottle-conditioned for a slow fermentation to take place inside the bottle, a process that is very similar to Champagne which is designed to not only create the bubbles but also for an amazing complexity and depth of flavors.
For fans of Port and Sauternes, this wine shop in Clark Pampanga has a large selection of vintage port, Sauternes and Barsac as well as Eiswein/Icewine from Austria and Germany. Likewise, there is a good selection of Vintage Champagne at the wine shoppers’ disposal in the cellars of this wine shop in Clark Pampanga.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com
Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.
Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
(045) 841 4006 / 0922-870-5173 / 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)
YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay
Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center. Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.
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While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com
YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.yatsleisure.com
Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com
Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.
A Well-known Restaurant in Pampnga, an interesting place to celebrate Birthday Party in Pampnga.
A best place to dine with friends in Pampanga
Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila.
www.YatsRestaurant.com
Looking for interesting hotels near Manila Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga?
Trouble free hotels and well recognized hotels in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga
Clearwater Resort and Country Club offers a good place to stay in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga. In offers nice place to have rest in Subic Pampanga outside Manila.
One of the Philippines top hotels in north Luzon.
Where to go in Clark? Hotel Clark Philippines is a De Luxe Hotel in Clark and Subic, a risk free place to stay, cozy and nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassion
www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
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