Portugal has a diverse environment with 2000 metre high alpine plains and forests in the Serre da Estrela, wide tracts of Moorland which are covered with wild flowers during spring, a variety of coastal scenery including large areas of sand dunes around the popular southern beach resorts near Algave, and temperate regions with large rivers and terraced vineyards — the most famous along the Douro River.

The wildlife of Portugal includes wolves and wild boars. Vegetation ranges from indigenous Elms, Poplars, Myrtle and Magnolia to Mexican Opuntia, Scotch Fir trees, American Maple and Eucalyptus imported from Australia, mostly before the 1920’s.

The climate and soil variation of the country is such that the plants of Northern Europe flourish almost side by side with Cacti, Palm trees, Aloes, Tree Ferns and locally cultivated plants including Carob trees, Cork Trees and grapes.

The main Portuguese harbours are Lisbon and Porto. Their importance dates back to when the nation was a colonial power, ruling territories in India, Africa, China and parts of Malaysia. The remnants of Portuguese traditions are still found in the architecture and food of Goa, Macao and Malacca and it is likely that the culture introduced in these regions will continue to exert influence over the population, even though they have long since been absorbed into their respective nations.
Portugal’s major exports are, and have historically been, wine, olive oil and cork.

Porto, or Port wine, named after the harbour from where it was shipped, is one of Portugal’s most famous exports, plus it is a major, locally grown and consumed product. The historical popularity of Port dates back to 1925 when £1 million worth was exported to Britain. The importance of the product is clear in the Treaty of 1914-16 with the British which said no other wine could be called Porto.

Made by adding brandy to fermenting wine, the quality depends on the grapes used, the amount and quality of the brandy added and the time and way the brandy is added.

When the grapes are pressed the sweet juices begin fermenting immediately, the grape sugar being converted by a natural process into carbon monoxide and ethyl alcohol.
Brandy is added to check this natural occurrence, allowing the wine to retain some of the grape sugar and enhance the flavour of the Porto.

Historically, all the grapes grown for Porto come from the Douro region and are shipped to Porto. After the wine is made it is housed in the stone lodges, called Villa Nova Da Ghia, for ageing.
There are three types and qualities of Porto — Vintage, Tawny and Ruby. Vintage Porto is made from grapes harvested in one season. The brandy is added and it is aged in wooden casks for one to two years before being bottled and aged again. It matures slowly but retains more body and colour than the other styles and acquires a fine and distinctive bouquet.

All bottles of Vintage Porto are dated with the year of harvest and, as long as they are stored under the right conditions, improve with age. The older the Porto the better the taste and bouquet and the higher the value.
Tawny Porto is kept in the wooden cask for longer so it has more exposure to oxygen and ages quicker. It does not have as much colour or body as Vintage Porto and often contains grapes or wine from more than one year’s harvest.

Ruby Port is a mixture of the two and enables those on a lower budget to enjoy the flavours of a Vintage Porto at a lower price. In many European countries, especially Belgium, Porto is drunk as an aperitif, whereas in Britain and many other nations it is usually an after dinner drink.
If you ask a Portuguese what the proper time to drink Porto is, they will invariably answer, “any time”. It is not uncommon to see locals enjoying the country’s traditional drink for breakfast.

When you go to Portugal and enjoy the beautiful beaches, mountains, forests and moorlands and experience the rich cultural traditions which are still very much a part of modern day life, be sure to taste some of their national drink and give some thought to the traditions and intrigues of the wine called Porto and its historic past.