Port, Just of Old Men?

Filed in archive Wine Making on December 19, 2006

When I envision people drinking port, I imagine them in a drawing room or library filled with old leather books all over the shelving on the wall. This is a room housed in a gentleman's club, and all the old farts in there are wearing suits, sporting way too much facial hair, and drinking port as they smoke big fat cigars.

But I guess this picture is no the real deal any more because according to this article by CNN International, port is not just for old men these days:

"If the English view that the people who consume port are crusty old gentlemen sitting in clubs (were true), it would be very easy, because we would simply be in all the crusty old gentlemen's clubs selling port," Bridge said.

But, he says, the fortified wine is just as likely to be drunk by young professionals at dinner parties.

"Those consumers can be found in America, in Canada, but they can equally be found in Mumbai or in Beijing," he said.

International trade and politics were the historical ingredients that led to the development of port wine and the region.

English merchants arrived here about 300 years ago, hoping to bring products back in their ships that transported wool to Portugal. Douro wine was soon in hot demand after worsening ties between England and France cut French wine supplies.

Shippers found many wines did not travel well. However, the ones with stronger alcohol content seemed to do better, leading producers to add brandy, an outcome that was good for the voyage and pleased the English palate.

"Every wine develops as a consequence of an accident or some such," said winemaker David Guimaraens, whose ancestors founded the Fonseca Guimaraens port house. "They thought let's add a bit of brandy and then said 'wow, that's not bad'."

That very same process is used today, holding out the hope that port wine can become more than a dessert wine.

On hot afternoons at Fonseca's Quinta do Panascal vineyard in the heart of the Douro, visitors are given cool, white 'port and tonics' to try out.

In France, drinkers have port as an aperitif. In Portugal people may have it chilled in the afternoon and there is the traditional port with dessert or cheese after a meal.