152 Port anD the Douro
the freshness and vibrancy usually associated with young Port. Often drunk as an aperitif,
these so-called ‘tawnies’ have a popular following in France. In order to distinguish them
from basic tawny, most wood-matured tawnies are labelled with an indication of age. There
is, however, a category of tawny reserve which must be aged for a minimum of seven years
in wood (see the relevant sections below).
Rosé Port
This is a new category initiated by Croft in 2008 and was initially classified by the authorities
as ‘light ruby.’ Most of the shippers have now taken to producing a rosé or pink Port but
there is a huge variation in style with colours from pale salmon to light ruby, and with
flavours to match. Not without controversy when it was first launched, rosé has captured a
new and younger section of the market (perhaps taking over from where Port and lemon left
off). The wines are marketed to be served over ice in summer or used as a mixer drink.
White Port
There is an old adage that Port has two duties: the first is to be red and the second is to be
drunk. Having tasted many bland white Ports in my time, I am more than inclined to agree.
Although handling has greatly improved in recent years, characterless grape varieties and
heavy-handed vinification methods still produce some rather insipid, often extractive wines.
Some wines are aged in wood but most dry white Ports are kept in stainless steel before
bottling. In the wake of the widespread vineyard replanting scheme of the 1980s and 1990s
which focused on five red grape varieties, there has been a shortage of white grapes. White
Ports are produced in a number of different styles ranging from the unctuous wines labelled
‘Lagrima’ (meaning ‘tears’, because of their viscosity) with a Baumé reading of 4.8 to 6.6
degrees, through ‘sweet’, ‘medium sweet’, ‘dry’ to ‘extra dry’ (around zero degrees Baumé).
With the exception of a special category known as leve seco (light dry), which is bottled at
16.5% ABV, white Ports are normally fortified to between 19 and 22% ABV.
White Port is usually served chilled as an aperitif, either on its own or with a twist of
lemon peel to sharpen up the flavour, accompanied by a bowl of salted almonds. Some
shippers pour white Port over ice and advocate a long drink let out with tonic water
and served with a mint leaf, although a long cool Super Bock (the local beer) is a better
thirst-quencher at the end of a hot day in the Douro. At Factory House lunches where a
decanter of dry white Port stands alongside a decanter of Fino Sherry, the latter is usually
more popular. White Ports, nevertheless, continue to find a market in Portugal (where
Sherry is virtually anathema) and in Holland, France and the Benelux.
MosCatel Do Douro
There are pockets of Moscatel (Muscat) in vineyards all over the Douro, but the greatest
concentration is to be found on the planalto around the town of Favaios. Made in much
the same way as Port, production is centred on the local co-operative, which ages the wine