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They’re usually aged for around three years. Rubies are filtered before bottling and do not generally improve with age, they’re meant to be consumed when they’re bought. Following fermentation, they’ll be stored in stone or stainless steel tanks to prevent oxidation and to preserve their deep ruby colour. Often described as claret, they are young, wines with fresh, red-fruit aromas and nimble palates. Ruby ports are named for their distinct deep ruby colour. White, Rosé, Ruby and Tawny Port Ruby Port In broad terms, you’ll most commonly find a Ruby Port, a Tawny Port and a White Port. The terms and their definitions are strictly regulated by the IDVP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto). There are several categories of Port, that can usually be broken down further by their aging and quality. Traditionally these would have been oak barrels, but modern producers use stainless steel vats as well. Resulting in a much stronger and sweeter wine, this is what people mean when they say a fortified wine.įollowing fortification, Port is then placed into casks for aging. This raises the alcohol content of the Port wine and preserves much of its original sugar content.
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The high alcohol content kills the yeast and stops the fermentation process. Within 3 or 4 days of fermentation, the producers add a grape spirit confusingly called brandy to the wine (it’s not actually the brandy most people are familiar with). However, in port wine production, the process is interrupted. The yeast breakdown all the sugar and produce a wine of around 12%-14% in strength. Usually, wine is left for one to two weeks to allow this to happen. In traditional wine making, bacteria called yeast breakdown the sugar and create alcohol as a by-product, this is the process called fermentation. This begins the process of wine fermentation, but it’s not quite port wine yet. After treading, the grape must, which is the pressed juice, the seeds, stems, and skins, are fermented for several days, until alcohol levels reach around 7 percent. The traditional method was to gather all of the grapes into large stone tanks and utilise manpower to stomp on them by foot.
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Although much of the industry has modernised, some port producers (also referred to as shippers) still rely on traditional methods. Fermentation and Fortification – How is Port Wine Made?Īfter the long hot summer, the grapes are harvested and taken to be processed in September. Due to this wine production, nearby Porto, connected by the Douro river, became an important city for exports. Historically, it was demarcated in 1756 to protect the wine exports. Resulting in hot and dry summers, temperatures can reach as high as 45 degrees! The steep valley sides and soil is ideal for vineyards and terraces. The Marão mountains protect the valley from coastal winds and rain. Within Portugal its particularly well known (look out for Douro DOC wine). Due to its unique location it has a perfect micro-climate for growing grapes. In the north of Portugal you’ll find the Douro Wine Valley. These three details are what sets Vinho do Porto (that’s port in Portuguese) apart from many other wines across the world. Essentially, there are three reasons that really set it apart from other types of wine the location, the grapes, and the fortification process. We’ll start with the basics, Port Wine (referred to as port) is a type of fortified wine made in the Douro Valley region in Portugal. Other Fortified Wines in Portugal What is Port Wine?