Port Wine Day

January 27 and September 10 are Port Wine Day On this holiday, all lovers of strong drink have an excellent reason to drink a couple of glasses once again What associations do you have with the word “port”? In our country there is a misconception about this drink For many, it has become the personification of cheap and affordable alcohol with a high degree of alcohol, which allows a person to quickly reach the desired “condition” Inexpensive and very cheerful In fact, what we often call port are imposter drinks They appropriated the name of the noble drink with impunity and spoiled its reputation Let's get acquainted with the real hero of the day - exquisite Portuguese port In the 17th century, the British came to blows with France A series of colonial conflicts between states subsequently became unofficially called the "Second Hundred Years' War" While politicians played their games and actively divided spheres of influence, it was ordinary citizens who suffered first of all from their actions France has been supplying its wines to England for a long time When relations between countries deteriorated, the distribution routes for alcoholic beverages were blocked The British were left without wine, so businessmen began to look for alternative options and turned their attention to the Portuguese wine regions On the border of Spain and Portugal is the Douro Valley Here is the famous Alto Douro wine region, and on the local slopes today, as many centuries ago, grapes for port wine are grown, which made these places famous All products from the high mountain vineyards flocked to the city of Porto, where the British became frequent guests According to the most common legend, merchants from Liverpool arrived here in 1678 to purchase a shipment of wine from the Abbot of Lameg He treated the customers to local fortified wine, which was called port here The British liked the drink flavored with cognac alcohol It is this moment that is considered to be a turning point in the history of port wine, which the Portuguese began to export first to England and then to other European countries Cognac spirit was added to Portuguese wine not only for taste Such a drink could be transported by sea for many months, and it still would not spoil Ordinary wine could not always be delivered to the port in proper form, since sailing ships were used for transportation, which could take a long time to reach their destination Initially, alcohol was added to ready-made wine, but port wine production technology has improved over the years The drink was fortified during the fermentation process, which had a positive effect on its taste Towards the end of the 17th century, the name "porto" became the official name for wines that were produced only in the Portuguese Douro Valley In England, where the drink very quickly won the hearts of the locals, it began to be called “vino-porto” or “porto-wine” Over time, this name turned into the well-known “port wine” to all of us The alcohol that is added to the wine gives the drink a characteristic cognac aroma, but its bouquet has another dominant note - a fruity tone It is obtained by infusing the wort on the pulp or by heating the latter to a certain temperature Real port wine is an exquisite, noble drink that is made only from the five best grape varieties and aged in oak barrels for at least two years Like wine, it can be white or red Not long ago, one of the oldest producers of Portuguese port wines released a new product - a pink drink It is believed that red ports have a richer, more intense and multifaceted taste They have their own hierarchy The youngest drinks are aged in barrels for no more than two years They are characterized by burning fruity notes The most expensive red ports languish in barrels for 30-40 years As a rule, the best grapes of the most productive years are used for their production This port does not have the expression of a young drink It has a well-balanced, elegant taste with notes of dried fruits and nuts