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FEATURE | From Port to Port
Port to Port
P
orto is magnificent. Situated on Portugal’s Iberian peninsula and established in the 12th century, it’s one of Europe’s oldest cities. The antiquity is palpable, crumbling granite buildings, the spires of Baroque cathedrals punctuate the sky, winecoloured slate roofs ramble up slopes. It’s so ancient that its heart, the vibrant area known as Ribeira, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site: there narrow streets wind like tributaries around its centre, the scent of grilling sardines drifting amongst the ornate neoclassical architecture. As if to emphasise the treasures you’ll find here, the city lights up like a jewel
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SOUTH AFRICAN CONNOISSEUR
Malu Lambert drinks in Porto —and plenty of Port while she’s at it; bringing home some winter sipping inspiration box at night. I stood on the banks of the Douro River, the storied city at my back, gazing at the warehouse district of Vila Nova de Gaia, home to the famous Port lodges. Ablaze with golden lights, the two-tier Dom Luís I bridge connects the two districts, its ironwork structure reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower. Across the dark water illuminated signs announced the familiar names—Dow’s, Graham’s, Taylor’s—my eyes hooking onto the iconic Sandeman Don, cloaked in the famous black cape of Porto’s students. Housed in those mysterious lodges is largely the world’s supply of Port; the contents of barrels of every possible size ticking over in the underground cellars below the river line. In the subterranean maturation wings, the ground is carpeted with powdered chalk; I found this out when exploring the labyrinthine insides of Graham’s. It’s how they spot the leakage, I was told, the inky port
splashing onto the white. Port is unlike any other wine processing system in the world in that fermentation and maturation take place at two different locations. Port wines were historically sent downriver aboard rabelo (sailing boats) from the Douro Valley to mature here. These days the boats bobbing on the river are mostly just for show and more modern modes of transportation are employed to get from A to B. The historical, and current reason for this practice is that Vila Nova de Gaia benefits from the proximity to the Atlantic, providing the moderate temperatures and humidity needed for the long maturation period of Port wines. TO THE DOURO The next morning I was picked up by a representative of Symington Family Estates. The fifth generation wine company owns substantial holdings of
