The Pyrenean fortified wine triad: sherry, Madeira, port has received a very peculiar refraction in the post-Soviet space. Especially in this regard, the last of the above-mentioned drinks was “lucky”. Perhaps, only in the states of the former USSR one can hear questions from the series: “where can I buy Portuguese port wine?” or “what is the difference between port and wine?”. Vzboltai will tell about the reasons for this paradoxical phenomenon and about many other things in this article.
Learn more about port wine.
Port wine, port wine, chatter
Let’s start with the fact that, according to generally accepted legal norms, there is simply no port wine other than Portuguese in nature. This drink can only be produced in the northeast of the above country.
However, in regions of the Russian Empire suitable for winemaking, and then the USSR, starting from the end of the XNUMXth century, the production of fine fortified wines using port wine technology (i.e., fixing the must with grape alcohol at the fermentation stage) was widely practiced.
As a result, such concepts as: Azerbaijani port wine, Armenian port wine, Crimean port wine, as well as such diverse wine brands as Agdam, Kurdamir, Inkerman port wine, Livadia red port wine, Anapa port wine, etc.
In Soviet times, the name of Portuguese wine was extended to more unpretentious ordinary drinks, which received a digital code instead of a full-fledged name; for example: port wine 72 or port wine 33.
As you understand, all these drinks, which have nothing to do with Portugal, cannot be called port wine by definition.
But in their case, it would be quite appropriate to use the diminutive nickname porte, which originated in long lines at the counters of Soviet wine and vodka stores.
Over time, vintage portvessels rolled down to the level of ordinary ones. The latter turned into a completely low-grade swill, referred to in Soviet everyday life as chatterbox.
A kind of “classic” of the genre, in this case, was port wine 777 (also, in view of the shape of the sevens depicted on the label – port wine Three axes).
Yes, and “Agdam” with “Anapa” did not really lag behind him. A significant difference between a port and chatter is the use of grain and beet distillates instead of grape spirit in the latter.
Today, even under the guise of vintage and relatively decent ordinary wines, products are produced that are devoid of any hints of wine materials.
It consists of ethanol diluted with water, flavored with dyes and flavors.
In this state of affairs, the question of the differences between wine and port, alas, takes on real meaning.
How to choose port wine and other tips
Of course, genuine quality drinks should be sought either in trustworthy specialized boutiques or in trusted supermarkets.
Before proceeding with the process, it is desirable to have an idea of the most famous brands of Portuguese wine of interest to us. Among them it is worth highlighting:
Sandeman
Offley
W. & J. Graham
Calem
Cockburn’s
Croft
Dow
Taylor
CN Kopke
Real Companhia Velha
all types of port
Quick reference for labeling
Any port wine can be attributed to one of two styles – ruby (let’s call it ruby in Russian) or tawny (tony).
Ruby ports (“ruby”) are distinguished by their expressive character, their taste is dominated by fruity tones, and the most serious categories of these wines continue to develop in the bottle.
Toni (“light brown”) ports have a soft, rounded character, their taste is built on tones of nuts and dried fruits, and the wines do not require additional aging in the bottle.
In fact, all the categories of port that are between Reserve and Vintage (perhaps, the Aged Tawny with an aging period of 20 years should be added to the latter) are a kind of lottery. Such drinks can either fully meet the money spent, or turn out to be rather mediocre, or exceed all your expectations.
Colheita-style drink, with the year of harvest indicated on the label, is considered a spectacular gift for a birthday or anniversary of some significant event. You can immediately put it on the festive table.
Vintage Port – this is truly a win-win option; regardless of its manufacturer. The quality of the drink is guaranteed by the Portuguese State Wine Institute of Douro and Porto.
If you are lucky enough to get a full-fledged fresh-bottled vintage wine and at the same time you prefer young bright drinks, you can immediately uncork the bottle. According to experts, vintage port should either be consumed immediately after bottling or sent for at least 15 years to be “finished”. Other options are excluded due to the capriciousness of this aristocratic drink.
In case you plan to save your purchase for the future, opt for unfiltered options. They are more prone to further development than their filtered counterparts.
Barrel-aged port wines should be stored upright; while drinks that continue to mature in bottles must be in a horizontal position.
Unfiltered port requires obligatory decantation before use.
An uncorked bottle should never be closed again. At the same time, unfiltered drinks should preferably be credited on the opening day, while filtered ones can be kept open for up to four days.
And of course, don’t get carried away. Remember that porto is a fairly strong drink, and that in its homeland, lighter wines are preferred in everyday life.
Relevance: 29.06.2017
Tags: wine and vermouth