Celebrate Port Wine Day with a Toast! Today, September 10, we celebrate Port Wine Day, a special occasion to honor one of Portugal’s and the world’s most iconic wines. This date marks the establishment of the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro by the future Marquis of Pombal on September 10, 1756, and the beginning of the demarcation of the first wine region.
Produced on the slopes of the Douro, Port Wine is a symbol of tradition, history, and passion. It originated out of the need to preserve wine during long sea voyages by adding brandy to ensure its durability.
Port Wine comes in several distinct styles, each with unique characteristics:
White Port
Produced from white grapes and vinified similarly to red wine, White Port comes into contact with the skins during maceration, resulting in a high concentration of polyphenols. This wine can age in oxidative conditions and can be found with designations such as Reserva or Age Indication (10, 20, 30, or over 40 years).
Ruby Port
Ruby Ports age in the bottle and include:
Ruby Reserve: Young, powerful, and fruity, ready for immediate consumption, but can develop complexity if aged for 2 or 3 years in the bottle.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV): From a single harvest year, ages for 4 to 6 years and can be consumed immediately or aged in the bottle for several years.
Vintage Port: Considered the crown jewel, ages in the bottle. Made from grapes of a single year and bottled two to three years after the harvest, it can evolve for up to 50 years.
Single Quinta Vintage Port: A vintage from a single year and a single estate, giving it a unique character.
Tawny Port
Aged in oak barrels and ready for consumption when bottled. Includes:
Tawny Reserva: Aged an average of 6 years, it offers great elegance of flavors.
Tawny 10 Years: Made from a blend of wines with an average age of 10 years.
Tawny 20 Years: More evolved wines, with intense aromas and flavors (vanilla and dried fruits), made from a blend with an average age of 20 years.
Tawny 30 Years: With extended aging in barrels, it has complex characteristics such as honey, spices, dried apricots, nuts, and vanilla, from a blend with an average age of 30 years.
Tawny 40 Years: Concentrated and complex wines that “explode” in the mouth, made from a blend with an average age of 40 years.
Colheita Port
Wines from a single harvest that age for a minimum of 7 years.
Now, we invite you to raise your glass and toast! Use this occasion to try a new label or revisit a classic you love.
Click here to see our recommendations.
And take the opportunity to try the Porto wine Bela Luz Vintage 2020, from Herdade do Rocim, with a 15% discount.
