There are two styles of LBV Port: one filtered and fined, and the other not. Late Bottle Vintage, or LBV, Port is wine that was originally going to be bottled as a vintage Port but that was left in barrel for longer. Lighter, drier styles of White Port are often used as aperitifs. When aged in oak, the color turns darker. White Port is produced from white grapes and can be made in a variety of styles. Colheita Ports are single-vintage Tawny Ports that have been aged for a minimum of seven years. Tawny Ports are labeled according to their time in oak, which can be anywhere from 10 to 40 years. The resulting wines are sweet and reddish-brown in color. Tawny Ports are wines that have been aged in wooden barrels and, therefore, have been exposed to oxygen and evaporation. Stored in concrete or stainless-steel containers after fermentation, it retains its bright ruby color and fruit-forward palate. Ruby Port is the least expensive and most commonly produced style of Port. From there, winemakers decide what style of Port they wish to make. The basic method for production of Port is that still wine is produced and then fortified by the addition of a neutral grape spirit, known as an aguardente, which arrests the fermentation, boosts the overall alcohol level and leaves residual sugar in the resulting wine. Ports are first defined by their method of production and then by their style. The majority of the grapes that succeed in Port production have small and dense fruit and share concentrated flavors and are suitable for long aging. White Ports, which are less common, are produced with white grapes, predominantly Donzelinho Branco, Esgana-Cão, Folgasão, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho. In fact, over 100 varieties are permitted for use in the production of Port, though the five most commonly used are Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa. The grape varieties used to produce Port are multifold. Within these three zones, land is composed of schist and granite and benefits from maritime influences, due to the nearby Atlantic Ocean, although changes in elevation do have substantial impact on grape growing. The three designated zones for Port production are the Baixo Corgo, the Cima Corgo and the Douro Superior. This wine is usually sweet or off dry, often red, and is typically served at the close of a meal.Īlthough other countries produce wines in the same style, and may even use the name “Port” or “Port-style” as a descriptor, only wines from this region may designate themselves Port. Decorative Wine Racks & Modular SystemsĪ fortified wine produced from distilled grape spirits, Port wine is the name for a product made exclusively in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
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