Wonderful world of wines

Port
 Port is a fortified wine from Portugal’s Douro valley, where the vineyards rise up craggy mountainsides in steep terraces, like a giant stairway climbing to the skies. Given the region’s rough terrain, the grapes are usually harvested by hand because machines can’t make it up into the vineyards.

To make port, grape brandy is added during the fermentation process to bring it to a halt, resulting in wine with a high proportion of residual sugar. The wine is then aged in oak casks for at least three years before it’s bottled and sold. Real port wines bear labels with the Instituto do Vinho do Porto garantia.

There are many types of port, each with its enthusiasts. White ports are well-suited to long summer evenings. The French like ruby ports as an aperitif. The British enjoy a tawny port and a good cigar after dinner. Quebecers prefer LBV port. Vintage port, the ultimate port, is made from a single harvest of exceptional quality and aged long years to perfection.