Port wine sweet and unique - article about Port wine sweet and unique

Port Wine: Sweet And Unique Tasting Wine

A Brief History

It is not actually certain when the production of the port wines in the Douro Valley started. Based on the archeological excavations in this area, the production of this type of wine may have started between the 3rd to the 4th century AD. Although this type of wine has been produced between the 3rd to the 4th century AD, it did not really become popular until the 17th century.

By this time, Portugal became one the leading trading centers in the world. In fact, records show that by the early part of the 17th century, the manufacturers of the port wine in Douro Valley was already shipping off as much as 1.2 million cases through the Douro River each year. From the Douro River, the wine is distributed throughout Portugal and the other neighboring European countries. As the years passed, the popularity of the port wine reached beyond the European continent and into the United States, Asia, Australian and other places.

Since the port wine is fast becoming a favorite among wine lovers, many countries now produce this type of wine but according to the guidelines of the European Union and Canada, only those wines produced from Portugal can be labeled as port. In other words, countries that are producing this type of wine are prohibited from labeling their products as “port” to give distinction to the original port wine from Portugal.

Following the guidelines of the European Union, the United States also passed a Federal law that mandates that only Portuguese made “port wine” should be labeled as Porto or Vinho do Porto to avoid confusion among buyers. Unfortunately, this guideline does not really stop some unscrupulous people from using the word “Porto” in their wine labels so you should still be very careful when buying port wine. To avoid buying fakes, you should only shop in reputable wine shops.

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