1875 António José Da Silva Velho Porto Porto

Description

Until about 1756, the production of “vinhos de embarque”—what were then called Port wines—followed the so‑called “old process” of winemaking. Fortification, always in small volumes, took place only after fermentation was finished, yielding dry wines. In 1820, the modern fortification process emerged, in which the alcoholic fermentation was deliberately stopped, producing sweet wines. This method only became widespread in 1852, when Port wines began to resemble their contemporary forms. Thus, Port wine is a fortified wine made in the Demarcated Region of the Douro under peculiar conditions derived from natural and human factors. The traditional production process includes halting the must’s fermentation by adding grape spirit, bottling the wines, and then aging them. Port wines are divided into different categories according to the type of ageing, ranging from Ruby, Tawny, White, and Rosé styles. The bottling year may not match the image shown (illustrative only).