Port and Madeira

In the story, it is mentioned that Mr. Brympton is “drinking a deal more than [is] good for him”,1 he would usually sit “half the night over old Brympton port and madeira”.2

In this context, the word “port” does not exactly mean “harbor” here, but some “type of sweet dark-red wine”3 However, “port” does have its origin from “harbor” because it is the shortened form of Oporto or Porto, a city in the northwest of Portugal with a port of the same name. It is the second largest city in Portugal and is famous for port wine,4 which was originally shipped from there to England. Although it is called port wine, it is actually produced inland in the vineyards of Douro Valley.5

Traditional port wine from Douro Valley is made of a great variety of grapes that are hand-picked and crushed by foot since machines are not able to achieve as high-quality results. Port wine does not undergo a full fermentation process, but is a fortified wine. This means that during fermentation, a certain amount of natural grape spirit or brandy is added to halt the process, so that some natural sugar from the grapes is preserved. Adding the grape spirit during this process causes the yeasts to stop the fermentation, and to prevent the sugar to further turn into alcohol. This gives port wine its typical sweetness, making it taste rich and smooth. After the fermentation process, depending on how and where the port wine is stored, it can result in several styles of wines with its own characteristic flavor. The two main categories are Ruby and Tawny.678

Ruby port is stored and matures in either sealed glass bottles or tanks of concrete or stainless steel to reduce oxidative aging. This way, it can preserve its bright red color and fruity flavor. Ruby Port is usually fined and cold filtered before bottling. Within the ruby category exist further distinctions or styles of ruby port, depending on the aging (usually between three to ten years).9

Tawny port wine is stored and matures in wooden barrels like oak casks for at least three years, and is exposed to air which allows the process of oxidative aging and evaporating. This procedure makes the tawny port lose its color faster and it changes from a bright red to a reddish-brown color. Tawny port gets more towny the longer it is stored in wooden barrels. Like ruby port, within the tawny port category exist further styles of tawny port wine, depending on how long it is stored.10

Like port wine, madeira wine is also fortified. However, the aging process is different because madeira wine is aged by a heat system. It is produced and bottled in Madeira, a Portuguese volcanic island (out of a group of islands) in the Atlantic Ocean, off the northeast coast of Africa.11 Madeira wine is also available in different styles: dry, medium dry, medium rich, and rich. Madeira used to be a standard port of call for people and their ships who were heading to the New World or East Indies during the Age of Exploration. Wooden barrels containing fortified wine were used as refreshments for the sailors and as additional ballast for their ships. However, the heating method was accidentally discovered when some of the unsold wooden barrels were given back to the producers, who then noticed that the quality of the wine has improved. The improvement was attributed to the high tropical temperatures and the years-long storage in wooden barrels. As a result, producers continued to send off their casks on a long journey to enhance the wine's character. As the demand for madeira wine got higher, producers were forced to find a faster alternative. The two methods that are used today for wine aging are called estufagem and canteiro. Up to the fortification process, the steps are the same as any other winemaking procedure.12

During the estufagem method, also called baking process, "the wine is placed in large coated vats and the temperature is slowly increased by about 5°C per day and maintained at 45–50°C for 3 months”.13 Transferred to oak casks after that, the madeira wine has to undergo aging for at least three years and continue up to twenty years or longer.

Madeira wines that are produced using the canteiro method have the highest quality. During this method, madeira wine is stored and heated “in wooden casks placed on wooden support beams”14 where the “aging usually occurs in the top floors of cellars, where the temperatures (30–35 ºC in the summer) and humidity levels (70–75%) are high, for a minimum of 2 years, developing complex aromas and intense flavors”.15


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1 Lewis, R. W. B. The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. (Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1968. 457-474, Print.), 462.

2 Ibid.

3 Online Etymology Dictionary, “Port”, https://www.etymonline.com/word/port?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_18487. Accessed January 23, 2020.

4 Collins Dictionary, “Oporto”, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/de/worterbuch/englisch/oporto. Accessed January 23, 2020.

5 Taylor's, “Introduction to Port”, https://www.taylor.pt/en/what-is-port-wine/introduction-to-port. Accessed January 25, 2020.

6 The Seattle Times, “Explore port wine in Portugal's Douro Valley”, https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/explore-port-wine-in-portugals-douro-valley/. Accessed January 26, 2020.

7 Taylor's, “Introduction to Port”, https://www.taylor.pt/en/what-is-port-wine/introduction-to-port. Accessed January 25, 2020.

8 Taylor's, “How is Port Made?”, https://www.taylor.pt/en/what-is-port-wine/how-is-port-made. Accessed January 25, 2020.

9 Selfbuilt's Whiskey Analysis, “A PRIMER ON PORT”, https://whiskyanalysis.com/index.php/2019/10/09/a-primer-on-port/. Accessed January 28, 2020.

10 Ibid.

11 Online Etymology Dictionary, “Madeira”, https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=madeira. Accessed January 25, 2020.

12 Ferreira, Isabel M.P.L.V.O.; Trinidad Pérez-Palacios, M. “Anthocyanic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity in Fortified Wines.” Processing and Impact on Antioxidants in Beverages. (Massachusetts: Academic Press Inc., 2014, Print.), 5.

13 Ibid.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

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