History of Port

This is a short version of the history of port. There is a lot more to tell and I will add more when I have got time to.

Beginning of times

The Douro valley has been used for wine production since the Bronze Age. The Romans systemized wine production and developed the viticulture. Early on it was plain red table wine that was produced. Export of wine from Portugal dates back to the 13th century when red wine was shipped to France and later on to England.

Englishmen and port

Treaties with the English was made to favour sale of English wool in Portugal against Portugal's sale of wine in England. The French wines were of course very popular in England from time to time but the many disputes between France and England made it easier for the Englishmen to trade wine from Portugal. It extended to the amount that merchants in other businesses began trading wine. In the middle of the 17th century a colony of English merchants and traders were established in Porto. Among the first to start shipping Port were two young Englishmen who started off in Porto under the name Warre. It is said that they found out that the wine survived the trip to England better if a shot of Brandy was added. This may very well be the first dessert wine.

From wine to Port wine

The first time Port is seen in print is February 8, 1767 in a catalogue from Christie's Auctions in London. Another catalogue from Christie's presents a "Port Wine 1765", which is the earliest mentioned Port known today. Whether these port wines are actually Vintage Ports is in doubt since most other sources states that the first vintage "worthy of being called a Vintage Port" is the 1775 vintage. The 1779 Vintage is the oldest recorded Vintage being sold as a Vintage Port by several shippers.

Disasters

Oidum and phylloxera destroyed most of the vineyards in the 1850's and the 1860's. Farmers moved to the upper Douro where the effects of the phylloxera appeared later and less violent. New methods for preparing the land and new planting techniques together with a selection of the best vines was the result from the disasters of phylloxera and oidum. The problems in the Douro valley opened up a whole new marked for other wines of the same type, often labeled as port. To take control over the situation and increase the export of port again the Portuguese dictator João Franco signed a decree on 10 May 1907 to regulate the production, sale and export as well as a control of the port wine. The decree was based on the same principles as Marquis of Pombal used 150 years earlier. New lines of demarcation were drawn including the new areas in the upper Douro. Responsible for the control of Port Wine was the Viticultural Committee of the Douro Region and all Port Wine had to be shipped across the bar of the Douro river. Today the Port Wine Institute must approve a wine before it can be sold. There are also very strict rules of how much wine one may produce from an area. The grapes allowed are also controlled as well as the quality of the grapes.