Port can be considered as a drink of contradictions. On the one hand, Port wine is one of the few which is produced exclusively in one region of one country. Port is produced traditionally in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. On the other hand, it comes in a great number of varieties, which differ in quality, colour, sub-region, grapes and consequently taste. Yet despite the existence of a number of port varieties, is can be considered as a very traditional drink. For one, it is relatively old. As a winemaking region Douro was established in the middle of 18th century and it is the third oldest protected wine region of the world. In addition, there is a great number of traditions and rituals attached to Port. Thereby Port does not seem to be a mere drink. It has culture attached to it.

Port is a fortified wine, which means that it is produced by the addition of a neutral grape spirit in order to prevent fermentation and to increase the alcohol content. As a result, Port contains 19.5-20% of alcohol. Here comes another contradiction of Port. Despite the fact that it is stronger than the majority of other wines, it has rich and sweet taste. That is why it is served as a dessert wine.

Crusted Port, which is made of a blend from several vintages, is more common and affordable than the Vintage Port. After bottling, Crusted Port is kept by producers for at least three years, so that it is ready to be drunk straightway. However, Port often requires ten to thirty years of aging for it to reach a required drinking age. As it was already mentioned, quite a few traditions have been formed around Port. They are particularly numerous in Great Britain. For example, British naval officers at the table pass Port only clockwise. If it does not make the full circle, it is considered rude to ask for it directly. Instead, the host has to ask the person closest to the wine whether he knows the bishop of Norwich or any other village of Britain. The person is not expected to answer, but he is required to pass on the port. In the case when the person fails to do so and answers “No”, he will hear the following answer: “The bishop is an awfully good fellow, but he never passes the port!”

Another tradition is related to opening of the Port bottle. First, Port requires decanting, meaning that it should be kept in a vertical position for at least 24 hours. The traditional way of opening Port involves the use of Port thongs. They are heated until they are red hot and then clamped around the neck of the bottle. After that a wet towel is applied to the same spot. Due to the rapid change of the temperature the glass breaks cleanly thus removing the cork.

All in all, it becomes clear that Port is a very special type of drink. In is produced only in one region, but a in a considerable number of varieties. Vintage Port is rare and it has to be mature for several decades. It is a dessert wine, but it contains more alcohol than many other types of wine. Finally, drinking port is a ritual and there are many traditions linked to it. Even if you never heard about them, you might want to try them next time you uncork a bottle of Port. This might make an experience much more fun than it usually is.