Port wine is a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern part of Portugal. It is a sweet red wine that usually comes as dessert wine; it can be in dry, semi-dry and white variations. Just like with Champagne the names Port and Porto can be applied only to wines produced in the Douro Valley. Probably the most important thing about port wine is that it helped to establish a standard for the fortified wines and similar wines are produced and consumed practically on all continents.
Port wine has a very interesting history. The whole region of Douro Valley has a unique microclimate perfect for cultivation of grapes which made it one of the best wine producing regions in Europe. Naturally wine-making in the region has a long tradition and truly evolved into a form of art. The wine itself came to prominence after 1703 when England signed the Methuen Treaty that allowed merchants to import at a low duty. This was done because the war with France made a serious hit on the English wine import and the island was unable to satisfy the local market. So Portuguese merchants picked up the challenge and started selling wine to England. The fortifying of wine was initially a technical measure, because a part of wine was unable to survive the transportation from the Valley to the shelves of English stores. But surprisingly the British liked the fortified form so much (which is a normal thing for a nation that has to struggle with the most infamous weather in Europe) that even got heavily involved into its trading, which helped spreading the product to their colonies. Even today port wine is used by the British military and fleet to salute the Queen at formal dinners.
The process of achieving port wine and other dessert fortified wines is relatively easy. Neutral grape spirit is added to stop the fermentation at a specific point, when alcohol in the wine is raised to 13-15% the yeast die out, the fermentation is over and a part of sugar is saved before its conversion into alcohol. This makes the wine strong but sweet and rich in taste and of course a little heavier than other wines. Usually port wine is served as dessert wine and due to its sweet and strong nature can make very good combinations with cheese; the dry versions can also be served as an aperitif. So if you plan to taste this type of wine after this article make remember that it is stronger than the usual wines, so it is better to try a local version and get familiar with the taste, before spending money on the original Porto.
P.S.
A funny fact is that port wine was also manufactured in USSR, but with a bit of wrong recipe. Instead of grape spirit wheat spirit was used during the production. The mix of different spirits gave the beverage a strong intoxicating effect, so due to a low price and a real powerful effect port wine became popular among the Russian working class.
