Port

Port is a sweet fortified wine, vinified in the Douro demarcated region from grapes grown in that region. The unique characteristics of Ports as they are presented in bottled, commercial examples, are due to a combination of the attributes of the grape varieties employed, the agro-climatic conditions under which the grapes are cultivated, the vinification methods used and the types of ageing regimes applied. This chapter focuses on technical and scientific aspects relevant to Port from the Douro valley; elements of the law and business are only introduced where they frame specific aspects of technical relevance. It presents descriptions of how the major categories of Port are produced and, where they are known, the underlying scientific phenomena that are specific to these categories. Viticultural aspects are only discussed when they relate directly to the specificity of the products. This edition first published 2013