As the wine increases in age the colour becomes lighter and the taste becomes more intense and complex taking on flavours from the wooden barrels. Typically the wine is aged for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years. Tawny Ports are aged in the barrels for various durations to allow certain qualities to develop. Tawny ports have flavours more reminiscent of dried fruit and nut. The wine is produced in smaller barrels and as such it is oxidised and it becomes paler in colour. Tawny Port – This is the most popular type of Port in Portugal. Ruby Ports can also be marked as Reserve or Special Reserve Ports in these cases the wine has typically aged for a longer period and the Port is accordingly more expensive. Ruby Port is typically aged for approximately 3 years before release. The size of the barrels prevents oxidation and the wine retains its rich ruby colour. Ruby Port – This is the most commonly found and least expensive type of Port wine. Large Ruby Port Tanks at the Calem Port House There are a number of different types of Port wine produced and certain methods are used in the production process to accentuate different qualities of the wine. For White Port production the most common grape varieties used include Gouveio, Malvasia, Rabigato and Viosinho. These varieties include Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (also known as Temperanillo), Touriga Franca (also known as Touriga Francesa) and the much loved Touriga Nacional. There are 5 key grape varieties used in red Port wine production. The delicious wine could travel and age very well and it soon became the drink of choice for many British wine drinkers. At this time Port became increasingly popular in the UK. In the early 18 th century the Methuen treaty was signed between the Portuguese and the English to reduce taxation on Portuguese wine and accordingly give it preference over French wines. The first shipments of Port wine were recorded in 1678. It is here that the various Port houses keep their wines and offer visitors tours of their facilities and tastings of the wines. The ideal environment for storing Port wine is to be found in Villa Nova de Gaia, the city located on the opposite side of the Douro river to Oporto. Although Port is produced in the Douro valley, the hot temperatures of the region mean that the wine needs to be exported to a cooler environment for storage.
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