Petaluma’s chapter in Port history

Port, true Port, is from Portugal - specifically Oporto, where its name is derived.

Oporto is the second largest city in Portugal, and it is a wonderful place to visit with phenomenal winemaking and delectable food. Note that in making the wine, however, European Union law has strictly forbidden the use of the word Port, as they maintain this very unique wine can only come from a closely defined area in the Douro Valley of Portugal. In wine and other agriculture, this is referred to as geographical delimitation.

Port wine is made by adding brandy to red or white wine to make red or white port, accordingly. The brandy is added to the fermenting grape must to arrest its development. Must is a reference for the grape juice used in the winemaking process before or after fermentation. It’s the stuff we stomp on to get the good stuff out of the grapes and store in tanks and vats.

There are nearly 30 grape varieties that can be used in making Port in Portugal and many other that folks are using outside the Douro and around the world in “port style.” The more modern vineyards in Portugal tend to stick with five or six main varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cao.

Each varietal is unique, and each works its magic in a specific, different growing region - different wind, different sun, different elevation and different soil. Of note, the varietal, Tinta Roriz is the same as Tempranillo from Spain, just grown in conditions that are very different.

Port originates from 17th century trade wars between the English and the French. For a while, the English were not allowed to purchase French wine as they were prohibited. They were soon seeking business with their old friend, Portugal.

The wines the English were procuring we referred to as “blackstrap.” The discovery of Port wine making is credited to an English wine merchant from Liverpool, who sent his sons to Portugal in search of wine. In a town named Lamego above the Douro, they found a monastery where the abbot was adding brandy to the wine during, not after, fermentation, producing the sweet, deep, alcoholic wine that Port was to become.

Wanting to ensure their wine got to England without spoiling, the English began to add a measure of brandy to stabilize them before shipment, and the Port wine industry was born. Not a bad solution when you have no refrigeration.

Today, the great houses of Port reign over and throughout the Douro valley. Names like Warres, Dow, Sandeman and Ramos Pinto, to name a few. It is, without question, the only true Port on earth but also the finest fortified wine in the world.

The wonderful thing about these wines is they will not cost you an arm and a leg for a good bottle of, say, Graham’s six grape, which is their lower tier but still quite good.

Regionally, we have some very nice fortified dessert wines made in the same fashion as the Ports from Portugal The Meyer Family Port, a California Port, is a lovely rendition of what is so great about the old world. This Port is a 1987 modified solera of zinfandel Port wine.

Averaging 11 years old, the Port displays aromas of baked fruit and cooking spice, along with warm, lush flavors of sweet cassis and brandied cherries. The winery is in Napa, but the grapes are sourced from their property in Ukiah Valley and Yorkville.

In Petaluma, we have a real treasure in our midst. The Sonoma Portworks, for anyone who has not had the pleasure of visiting, produces some outstanding wines. In fact, their newest release, the Aris Petite Sirah, is one of the best in the industry.

The wine spent six and a half years in the barrel. The 2008 ARIS Petite Sirah Port has a blood and red brick color. In the mouth, it is a journey through sweet and stewed cherries and holiday berries.

Pair it with a blue cheese and bread or a lighter gorgonzola, if blue is too much for you. I will never forget the first time I tried this wine with some blue cheese at the Petaluma Cheese Festival. It went on the list of my tongue as one of the top five things I’ve ever tasted. It was perfect.

Other wines they produce include a Port of petite verdot, a cask Port, a delicious chocolate Port made with good quality cocoa and a few other gems. I recommend getting to them and tasting for yourself.

(Jason Jenkins is the owner of Vine and Barrel in Petaluma. Contact him at jason@vineandbarrel.com.)