Porto, Portugal, is renowned for its production of Port wine – fun fact: A wine can only be called a “Port wine” if it’s produced in Portugal’s northern Douro Valley. Typically, the grapes are grown and harvested in the Douro Valley, and then come to Porto to be aged and bottled.
We did a wine tour and tasting at Cálem in Porto to learn about the production process, history, and the different varieties of Port.
Types of Port Wine:
There are several types of Port wine, each with unique characteristics and flavors that depend on its grades and aging process. These include Tawny Port, Ruby Port, Vintage Port, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port, White Port, and more. My favorite was the younger Ruby Port, which is sweet and fruity, and Brev liked the older, nuttier Tawny Port.
Port Wine Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia:
Vila Nova de Gaia is directly across the river from Porto and is home to numerous Port wine cellars, or “caves.” Here many renowned Port wine producers have cellars in this area, where the wine undergoes aging and maturation in barrels. This is where we did the wine tasting at Cálem and had a lot of fun.
The Jo Show 