Discover Port - How Port Wine Is Made - Ruby Port vs Tawny Port

In this video I share with some of what I know about Port Wines.
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Here are a few ports you can buy from my friends at Manchester Wine and Liquors:
Dow's 2000 Vintage
manchesterwineandliquors.com/D...
Graham's 20 Year Tawny
manchesterwineandliquors.com/G...
What kind of wine is Port?
Port wine comes from Portugal. The grapes are grown in the Douro Valley near Porto.
Port is often referred to as a ‘fortified’ wine as the addition of Aguardente (Brandy) is added during the fermentation process. The result is a sweeter higher alcohol wine. It’s primarily an after dinner or special occasion wine.
Most wines we are familiar with are either names of a variety of grape or a region where the wine was made. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay, for example, are the names of some grape varieties.
Bordeaux, on the other hand, is the name of a particular region in the southwest of France, popular for its wine. Port is also named after the location it is bottled in, Porto, Portugal.
How is port made?
The reason why port is both sweet and strong is due to it’s uniique method of production. The Port winemaking process starts out in the same wine making technique as most table wines.
Grapes are harvested, pressed (in many instances still by foot), fermented, aged, blended, and bottled. There are numerous variations that go into this basic process of making wines which result in different names and types of wines.
But what makes port so different?
The fermentation process is the defining moment of Port that makes it unique in the wine world. In traditional wine making, fermentation requires yeast to convert sugar from the grape juice into alcohol.
In normal wine making, once the fermentation is complete the desired wine will be dry not sweet because the yeasts would have consumed all of the sugar of the grapes and converted it into alcohol with an alcohol by volume (ABV) range of 8% - 15% (ABV)
In the case of the Port winemaking process, the fermentation process is stopped half way into it by the addition of about 25% Aguardente (brandy / grape spirit) The high alcohol content (70% ABV or 140 proof) of the brandy added kills the yeasts, and immediately stops fermentation.
Because fermentation was stopped early there is still a considerable amount of fruity sweetness from the grapes and unfermented sugars left. However keep in mind that the addition of the high proof brandy increases the overall alcohol level of the Port as well. After, the winemaking process is complete the Port retains 17.5% - 22% ABV.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Just arrived home from a tour in Douro Valley. This was great info about the port wine made there 🙂 You got a subscriber more !

[@winesandtunes3495]

So much more info about port wines I could have included, but video would have been an hour long.😱😅🍷🍷
Would love to answer all your questions. Also, this video is bitter sweat because I was supposed to go to Portugal a few months back but trip got cancelled due to pandemic. Maybe next year, Cheers!!

[@surrealistful]

Thamk you fpr the excellent content.

[@georgecatania4099]

No stupid music. Concise. Great information! Thank you Sir!

[@winesandtunes3495]

Appreciate the feedback! Cheers 🍷🍷🍷

[@Nerdzombiedisco]

Im watching this with a ruby with stilton and cracker. Subscribed. This channel is what I hoped to find. Great, clear, precise info. without the b.s. I feel confident now, with the knowledge you provide, to hold my own against wine narcissists trying to gaslight me. Cheers!

[@winesandtunes3495]

Nice! Be careful they say drinking with Stilton can cause hallucinations...I’ve never had that happen to me. Let me know if you have any. Cheers!

[@Brad-ic4bp]

Very informative. I actually just discovered port today (at the age of 50:). I was never a big wine fan, and intentionally avoided ports because of the 20% ABV - but I just tried a Graham's 10-year tawny port, and I'm amazed! There's barely any alcohol bite at all - just an incredible, sweet, syrupy berry, raisin, licorice, delicious flavor. So I appreciate the video, as I suddenly try to learn all there is to know about port wine. As great as this bottle is (and it's technically the best port I've ever tasted), it could also be the worst port I'll ever taste:). Ruby and Vintage are my next tries.

[@ratclifferob]

I have made homebrew Port and it has a lot of sugar in it. That's why it's sweet.

[@michaeljames3393]

Thanks for the education! Terrific information.

[@Zofer-1920]

Thanks for the pairing ideas!

[@LegionRides]

Nice video, mate! I was drinking a Merlot while watching this vid. But I like Port the most altough a Madeira is also very nice and also Portugese wine! It's a bit sweeter then Port and has a bit more alcohol then Port. A few years ago Port was very cheap here in Holland but now... You pay the prise!

[@VolhaKhaladtsova]

Thanks for your work and this video!

[@peervermeiren8902]

Thank you for making the video. Just got a bottle of tawny port and wonder...what the hell I am drinkin.

[@lolomams]

Well done

[@djtheaztec1354]

Love it!!!🍷🍷🍷🍷

[@Thegingerbreadm4n]

I like ports.... ~someone with a huge port wine stain birthmark whos drinking california port rn

[@ninetyZeven]

Good stuff.

[@GullyChrisReactions]

I recently fell in love with port and I love how you broke it down. New subscriber!

[@winesandtunes3495]

Awesome thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@GullyChrisReactions]

@@winesandtunes3495 just wondering would you be ok if I share this on my channel?

[@winesandtunes3495]

@@GullyChrisReactions Surething, thank you!

[@johnmeeksmusic]

Wow man. You are my new favorite wine educator on TH-cam! Such a great sense of knowledge with an incredibly easy to understand teaching style. I will watch everything you put out! Thank you!

[@dbpickles]

Super informative and concise video, thank you! My staff here at the restaurant is loving these videos... keep me coming!

[@winesandtunes3495]

More to come!

[@skcolt13]

Your video was so informative. I wanted to buy a port wine but was confused and came upon your video cause I saw your video on coravin which was great too. Thanks.

[@winesandtunes3495]

Glad to hear I helped! Did you buy a port? If so what kind? 🍷💥

[@skcolt13]

@@winesandtunes3495 Not yet. I have a few in my cart.

[@winesandtunes3495]

@@skcolt13 Keep me posted!🍷🍷

[@ddtrjared2596]

@@winesandtunes3495 would love some ruby port recommendations for a new person ones that would be more widely available.

[@winesandtunes3495]

@@ddtrjared2596 You should be able to find Dow’s and Graham’s Ruby Ports anywhere. What State or Country do you live in?

[@rosannapetrella6982]

This was so informative. Now I know what to pair with dessert!!!
I am intrigued by the classic method used for crushing grapes. How is the current pandemic affecting production?

[@winesandtunes3495]

Great question I’m not sure what is going on with the foot treading during the pandemic. I’ll have to look into that and get back to you.

[@rosannapetrella6982]

@@winesandtunes3495 Thanks would be great to know

[@FourthDimensionalHillBilly]

love the video but when I open a bottle of port it’s gone by the end of the day. Ain’t no sipping or savoring.

[@yukonstriker1703]

Where's the 'tunes'?

[@mattmerritt6016]

Why did you stop posting?

[@winesandtunes3495]

I will be posting again.

[@garrettingle6728]

Love the education about the ports but cannot support the direction/inclusion of foie gras. The farming is beyond inhumane and is now banned in many places.

[@winesandtunes3495]

I respect your position on foie gras and have actually changed to a plant based whole food diet since that posting.

[@thomasclifford8927]

Port wine is so sweet it's sickening.

[@djtheaztec1354]

Love it!!! 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷