Portugal

In the Douro region, named after the river that flows from Spain through Portugal and into the Atlantic Ocean, one of the most special wines in the world is produced, named port after the port of Porto on the Atlantic coast.

Port or port wine is a sweet fortified wine made from the grapes that grow in the upper part of the Douro wine region in Portugal. It is fortified, similar to sherry, by the addition of a grape spirit. Although there are some white types of port, most of them are red. The colour depends on how long the wine has matured.

Port is produced from several different red grape varieties. It is made by adding wine distillate to partially fermented grape juice after a short alcoholic fermentation. This kills the yeast and stops the fermentation, so the wine is sweet and has a high alcohol content. Before blending and bottling, it matures in oak barrels for some time. It is this time of maturation that determines the type of port produced.