Port
and the
Douro
Port
and the
(^) Douro
RichaRd Mayson
Mayson
Written in an authoritative but entertaining
manner by Port expert Richard Mayson,
the third edition of Port and the Douro
offers unparalleled insight into the world
of Port and douro wines. From the history
of the wine trade in Portugal (the grape
is thought to have been brought there by
the Phoenicians) to the present day, this
wonderful book offers the reader the inside
story of these magnificent wines.
the new edition includes a great deal of new
information on the cultivation of the douro’s
vineyards. an entire chapter is dedicated
to vintage Port to include harvests as recent
as 2011 and information on vintages back
to 1844. Vintages have been reappraised
to bring them up-to-date. the structure of
the trade has also changed in recent years
with withdrawal of the multinationals and
the sale and amalgamation of a number of
famous Port firms. these are included in the
comprehensive directory of Port Producers
and shippers. a new postscript addresses
some of the challenges and changes that
might affect Port and the douro in future.
this completely updated edition of Port and
the Douro provides a comprehensive study
of port and its production, making it an
indispensable reference guide to the world’s
greatest fortified wine.
Front cover: Quinta dos Frades
Back cover (clockwise from top left): the first varietal
vineyard at Quinta de Vargellas; sustainable viticulture;
Reserva Port ageing in Vila nova de Gaia; douro
panorama from Pinhão to Roncão
Richard Mayson
entered the wine
trade in 1984 and
spent five years
working for the
Wine society, the
world’s oldest
mail-order wine
club. in 1987 he
was awarded the
Vintners’ company scholarship and spent
three months in the vineyards of iberia. now
based in the north of england, Richard has
been working as a freelance wine writer
and lecturer since 1989. his first book, the
award-winning Portugal’s Wines and Wine-
Makers, was published in 1992, followed by
a second edition in 1998. he also wrote The
Story of Dow’s Port, published to coincide with
the company’s bi-centenary in 1998. the
first edition of this book, published in 1999,
was short-listed for the andre simon award
and the second edition, published in 2004,
won the symington award of excellence.
Richard’s book The Wines and Vineyards of
Portugal won the andré simon award for the
drinks Book of the year in 2003.
Richard has contributed to a number of
publications, including the Oxford Companion
to Wine and the Larousse Encyclopaedia of
Wine. he writes regularly for decanter and
the World of Fine Wine, and lectures to
Wine and spirit education trust students
and at Leith’s school of Food and Wine in
London. Richard currently divides his time
between his home and business interests
in the derbyshire Peak district and the
alentejo, Portugal where he owns a vineyard.
in 1999 he became a Cavaleiro of the Confraria
do Vinho do Porto.
http://www.infideas.com £30.
“Richard Mayson is a champion of a wine culture and a fresh and
authoritative voice in wine literature” Hugh Johnson
On Port on the Douro, second edition
“a useful insider’s view” Financial Times
“authoritative...Mayson casts a knowledgeable and, where necessary,
critical eye over the past, present and future of Port” Sunday Times
“definitive and well written” San Jose Mercury
“Comprehensive. Buy the book!” New England Wine Gazette
“an informative guide to one of the greatest of fortified wines” The Scotsman
“Mayson’s knowledge is encyclopaedic” Food and Drink, Ireland
Port cover.indd 1 22/10/12 17:26:
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