Spratley Garrafeira Velho Porto Porto

Description

Until about 1756, the production of “vinhos de embarque,” the early name for Port wines, followed the so‑called “old process” of vinification. Distillation, always on a small scale, took place only after fermentation was finished, yielding dry wines. In 1820 the modern distillation process emerged, in which the alcoholic fermentation was deliberately stopped, producing sweet wines. This method only became widespread in 1852, at which point Port wines began to resemble what we know today. Thus, Port wine is a fortified wine produced in the Demarcated Douro Region under peculiar conditions derived from both natural and human factors. Its production, rooted in tradition, involves halting the must’s fermentation by adding grape brandy, then loading the wines and, later, 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).