Tawny, crusted, reserve, ruby and vintage are just the beginning! Did you know there are eleven style of Portugal‘s most famous fortified wine? Porto, produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro Valley, is most often regarded as a sweet dessert wine though off-dry and white varieties are also produced in Portugal. The Portuguese feel so strongly about their wine production that under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labelled as port or Porto.
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Port can be enjoyed any time of year, but what makes September and the autumn months a perfect time of year to travel to Portugal is that the grapes that go into producing port are beginning to be harvested. Harvest of port wine grapes typically occurs between September 15 and October 15. Harvest season is kicked off with the Palmela Grape Harvest Festival, a week long event that includes musical performances, craft fairs and of course plenty of port and Portuguese wines. More festivals, fairs and tasting events follow throughout the fall, with many wineries opening their doors to travelers, including the Vinhos Alentejo which plans a full roster of special wine harvesting events.
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Douro naturally is a destination for port aficionados, but wine lovers wanting to explore Portugal should spend time in either Alentejo or Algarve, both regions identified by Wines of Portugal as producers of fabulous wine (even if the quantity produced isn’t as high as the more famous Minho or Lisboa regions).
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While ruby vintage port and Stilton cheese is the most famous pairing, full flavored cheeses like Gorgonzola and Azeitao go just as well for their robust and slightly salty qualities. On the other hand, if you have a younger tawny port, pair is with a mild cheese such as Parmesan.
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