The Port with a cloak

The Port with a cloak
Portugal
Superalcolici
Magazine: October 2007

For as long as can be remembered, Porto (the wine) and Sandeman go hand in hand. Port, other than being the name of the wine, is also the city where this fortifi ed wine has its origins, the second largest in Portugal.

Positioned at the mouth of the Douro river, Porto cannot be called an elegant city, nonetheless it has its appeal, primarily in the labyrinth of alleys between fi shermen’s houses that descend steeply towards the river. Among the most interesting things about Port are its splendid azulejos that embellish houses and monuments. The most interesting can be admired in the atrium of the Sao Bento station, at the Igresia do Carmo and at the Capela das Almas. Five dams made the tumultuous route of the river Douro more easily navigable. Cruises of one or more days are available to admire the steep hills. Port was born in the Douro valley, one hundred kilometres inland from the city of Port. Here, the fi fteen or so white berry cultivar and twenty odd black varieties are cultivated, all native species, that are the basic elements for “vinho do Porto”. The government undertook The rules and regulation over two hundred fi fty years ago for an easy to guess historic reason: the English had always had major diffi culties in stocking sherry from Herez de la Frontera, therefore it made sense to them to fi nd another high quality wine, more easily sourced.

Production process
Whether for obtaining white or red port, the process is the same throughout the fi rst phases. The grapes are pressed and fermented. When the sugar content during the fermentation process reaches the standard level for the type of Port one is attempting to obtain, brandy at 77% alcohol is added in an amount necessary to stop the fermenting process. During a year in which the climatic conditions were favourable, the trade union comprised of all the winemakers may declare that the port produced in that year is qualifi ed to become “vintage”. This is the only case in which a port is labelled with the year of the colheita (harvest) from which it was obtained, since to achieve “vintage” status, God’s hand is involved, as it is said in this area, so man should not strive to inhibit it or improve it: the port once enhanced by brandy, is bottled two or three years after harvest, because it improves in the bottle reaching aromatic complexities. The Cantine Sandeman has strived for quality since their founding in 1790.

The cellars
The Sandeman brand has become the symbol of Jerez and Porto throughout the world with magnifi cent cellars in both cities. Sandeman was the fi rst company to brand its barrels with the company logo, demonstrating with an image a guarantee of quality. It was also one of the fi rst companies to label and publicize its products. Already in the fi rst quarter of the XVIII century, Sandeman wines were sent to various European countries, North and South America, and Africa. The Don of Sandeman, designed in 1928 by George Massiot Brown, is one of the fi rst logos created for a brand. His image, wrapped in the typical black cloak worn by Portuguese students and sheltered by a wide-brimmed Spanish hat characterized the publicity campaign and brand labels until the ‘30s and is famous throughout the world for its prestige and quality. Eighty years young, “The Don” has maintained his mystery and appeal, and is recognized throughout the world as the most pleasant after dinner companion.