If you see a Port from Bulgaria or a Champagne from Arkansas, think twice. Rogue wineries from Germany to China have even put “Napa” on their labels. So some “port” has been grandfathered in.Īs a conscientious wine consumer, I support the wine regions who are trying to protect against the misuse of names by producers trying to benefit from illegitimate connections to certain regions. This is a versatile grape, grown in most of Portugals wine regions. All varieties of Port have rich, intense, and very persistent aromas and flavour, with high alcohol content (usually between 19 and 22 vol.). The September 2005 trade agreement allowed for the continued use of these terms on existing brands (but not new brands). Port wine’s characteristics distinguish it from common wines. winemakers had been legally permitted to use a group of 16 specific semi-generic terms on labels if accompanied by an adjacent appellation of origin. Names, such as chablis, burgundy, port and champagne, called semi-generics, have been in use on wine labels in the U.S. The US agreed to prohibit the use of 16 semi-generic names on wine labels, such as chablis, Champagne, port, sherry and chianti. However, and this may shock you, the internet is not always correct! Not only did the European Union move to protect designated wine regions abroad, but in September 2005 signed a trade agreement with the US concerning the use of “port” (and other such terms) in wine labeling. RICH & MELLOW 10 YEAR OLD Here’s a great Tawny Port, which has spicy, woody complexity alongside rich, sweet cherry fruit. It’s an extraordinary wine and a superb pairing with dessert and cigars. Learn about the history of Port wine and its production today, the Douro Valley and the house of Taylor Fladgate. The name comes from the fact that these wines were shipped out of the port city of Oporto, which is the largest city in Portugal after Lisbon. To backtrack, Port is a fortified wine that has been made in the Douro region of Portugal for centuries. In the United States, wines labeled ‘port’ may come from anywhere in the world…” Was my mind muddled by wine? Was I completely off target? Seemingly within seconds our friend Chuck had Wikipedia on his smart phone and delivered this nugget of info: “Under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labeled as port or Porto. You can have Port-style wines, but only wine from Portugal can be called Port.Īt our Open That Bottle Night festivities, Jack, one of our guests, opined that any wine could be called Port and the real Port was labeled “Porto.” I quickly asserted that only wine produced in Portugal could be called Port. The answer to this question seemed like a no-brainer to me. We’ll start with the basics, Port Wine (referred to as port) is a type of fortified wine made in the Douro Valley region in Portugal.
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