The Origins of Port Wine

It all starts in the Douro Valley ; the oldest protected and regulated Wine Region in The World.

Long before Champagne had its bubbles protected or Bordeaux its vineyards classified, the rugged, sun-scorched slopes of the Douro Valley in Portugal were officially demarcated. In 1756, by the hand of the powerful Marquis of Pombal, this region became the oldest protected and demarcated wine region in the world.

But how did it all start ?

The Oportunity: France vs England.

The series of conflicts between France and England back in 17th century, fundamentally altered the course of wine history and accidentaly gave birth to the Port Wine.

In fact, for centuries, England's wine of choice was Claret—the light, dry red wine from Bordeaux, France. The trade was robust and deeply entrenched.

When war broke out between England and France, it wasn't just fought on battlefields. It was fought with trade embargoes and economic warfare. The English government, led by ministers who wanted to cripple the French economy, slapped massive tariffs and eventually an outright ban on the import of French goods, including wine.

Overnight, the English wine merchant's primary source of profit dried up. But the English demand for wine certainly did not. They were forced to find an alternative—and quickly.

With France off the table, English merchants looked south to Portugal, a long-standing political and military ally. They already traded wines from the Minho Region with the country. However, those wines could barely handle the trip back to the Island.

At some point, they turned their attention to the wines coming from the Douro Valley that were stable enough to manage the several weeks on the boat. Moreover, to those Wines, itw as common to use Brandy in order to rise the alcohol content and so make the wine even more stable for its long journey. This was, at the time, a practical preservative measure.

The Problem: A Crisis of Counterfeits

In the mid-18th century, Port wine was already a booming international success, especially popular in England. But with great popularity came great opportunity—for fraud. Unscrupulous merchants would buy cheap, inferior wine from other regions, dye it with elderberry juice, and add a dash of brandy before slapping a "Port" label on it and shipping it off.

The reputation of authentic Portuguese Port was plummeting. Something had to be done to save the industry from collapse.

The Solution: The Marquis of Pombal's Masterstroke

Enter Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the formidable Marquis of Pombal. As Prime Minister, he took drastic and revolutionary action.

1. The Companhia Geral da Agricultur das Vinhas do Alto Douro Vinhateiro: In 1756, he created the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (General Company of Agriculture of the Vineyards of the Upper Douro). This body had the power to draw a literal boundary—to demarcate—the exact region where true Port wine could be produced.

2. The Geografical Demarcation: To make the boundary physical, 335 granite pillars (marcos pombalinos) were carved and placed along the borders of the region. Many of these historic markers still stand today, silent sentinels guarding the legacy of Port.

3. Control of the Production: A primary classification of the vines starts in 1757 with a regulation of the estates that could produce the « feitoria » wines, those considered the best and meant to be exported. The other wines « de ramo » could only be consumed in Portugal.

4. Regulation of the Trade: Both quantity and prices of the wines were regulated. Minimum prices for the grapes were also settled so the Trade could finally find a balance.

The Marquis of Pombal faced a huge resistence from both producers and traders. However, the positive result on the business was almost immediate.

And so so Port Wine; the Oldest Apellation of Origin in the World was born...