[Agyeong Wine Cellar] Sweet Port Wine for a Peaceful Year-End

<15> Portugal's 'Dow's'

Simington's flagship wine, the ultimate Port wine
Renowned vintage Port house, charming dry finish
2011 vintage Port, ranked No.1 by WS

Editor's NoteNo two wines under the sky are the same. Even when grapes grown on the same land each year are vinified and aged using the same methods, the results differ every time. Wine is a 'drink of chance' created through the harmony of humans and nature. Each wine, which silently disappears after leaving only a single intense memory, carries an intriguing story. 'Akyung Wine Cellar' shares these stories of wines, each made and matured under different circumstances, one by one.

Portugal, located at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula in Europe, derives its name from the Latin 'Portus Cale,' meaning 'western port.' The city that became the center of this port country is Porto, where Portugal's representative 'Port Wine' was born.

Despite being Portugal's signature wine, it is known by the British name 'Port Wine' rather than 'Porto Wine' because it was mainly consumed in the UK and introduced to the world by the British. Port wine remains the most consumed wine in the UK, with about half of its origin tied to Britain. Due to climatic conditions, grape cultivation suitable for winemaking was difficult in the UK, which had long been a major customer of French wines. However, after losing to France in the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century and losing the Bordeaux wine region, Britain had to find a new source for wine imports, eventually choosing its long-time ally Portugal after much deliberation.

Dow's 1966 vintage Port wine.

As trade between the two countries strengthened, the number of British settlers in Portugal naturally increased. By the late 15th century, a significant amount of Portuguese wine was exported to Britain in exchange for salted and dried codfish called bacalhau, and in 1654, a trade treaty between the two nations granted British merchants residing in Portugal tax privileges. However, trade was not always smooth. Without refrigeration facilities at the time, wines shipped from Portugal often arrived in Britain after a long voyage in a spoiled, undrinkable state.

Exporters, unwilling to watch the wine oxidize into vinegar, began adding small amounts of high-alcohol brandy. An astonishing thing happened: what started merely as a way to prevent spoilage resulted in wines that exceeded expectations in quality and gained popularity. The unintentionally born Port wine later developed its fermentation period and fortification methods, establishing itself as a distinct category. The many British names among famous Port wine companies such as Taylor's, Graham's, Croft, and Sandman can be understood in this context.

Tradition and Craftsmanship Passed Down Through Generations

The exterior view of Dow's 'Quinta do Bomfim' winery.

The history of Dow runs parallel to that of Port wine. In 1798, Bruno da Silva, a Portuguese merchant, moved to London, UK. This was the opposite of the trend at the time, where Portuguese wine importers were migrating from the UK to Portugal. Bruno landed smoothly in London, gaining a good reputation through Portuguese wine imports. Even during the early 19th century Napoleonic Wars, when many trading companies struggled, Bruno's company was protected by armed escorts and continued wine trade across the treacherous Bay of Biscay.

Later, his son John da Silva partnered with Frederick William Cosens in 1862 to establish 'Silva & Cosens,' expanding the business further. In 1877, Silva & Cosens acquired and merged with a Port wine company named 'Dow & Co.' At the time, Dow & Co. was much smaller than Silva & Cosens but had a reputation for high-quality vintage Port wines, leading to the company name being changed to Dow. Dow subsequently grew into an indispensable company when discussing Port wine.

In the 20th century, Dow faced another turning point. In 1912, Andrew James Symington purchased shares in Dow and became a partner. Since then, the Symington family has worked as winemakers for five generations, playing a decisive role in shaping Dow's style and character. Today, Dow is fully owned by the Symington family and operates as one of the flagship Port wine brands of 'Symington Family Estates,' which holds a 35% share of the global premium Port market.

Panoramic view of Dow's 'Quinta do Bomfim' vineyard.

Port wine is a fortified wine made by adding distilled spirits such as brandy to regular wine to increase its alcohol content. While typical wines have an alcohol content of about 11?15%, fortified wines like Port have an alcohol content around 20% due to the added spirits. Port wines come in many varieties depending on the winemaking and aging methods, with vintage Port considered the pinnacle. Unlike regular Port, which blends wines from various years, vintage Port is made solely from grapes harvested in a specific year, hence having a vintage. Vintage Ports are rare, produced only about three times every ten years under perfect conditions, and can be aged for over 100 years, earning the nickname 'immortal wine.'

Dow's greatest contribution to its current reputation is its vintage Port. Over the past 100 years, the Symington family has focused on establishing Dow as a prestigious producer of vintage Port wines. Dow's vintage Ports exhibit a classic style with powerful tannins and mature fruit flavors. On the palate, intense fruit flavors combine with rich bitter dark chocolate notes, and they can age for at least 30 years. Notably, in 2014, Dow's 2011 Vintage Port was ranked first in the 'Top 100 Wines of the Year' by the world-renowned wine magazine Wine Spectator, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's finest wines.

Dow's 2011 Vintage Port, which ranked first in the 2014 "Wine Spectator" Top 100 Wines of the Year.

Douro Valley, the Home of Dow and Port

Port wine is produced exclusively in one place worldwide: the Douro Valley. While the industrial activities of aging, shipping, and exporting Port wine center around Vila Nova de Gaia, located opposite Porto at the mouth of the Douro River, grape cultivation and winemaking take place in the Douro Valley. The vineyards of the Douro Valley begin about 70 km upstream along the Douro River from the twin coastal cities and were designated the world's first legally controlled wine region in 1756. In 2001, the region was also registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The vineyard area of the Douro Valley is divided into three subregions. The westernmost Baixo Corgo produces the lightest style of wines, the central Cima Corgo hosts the largest number of top-quality vineyards, and the relatively sparse eastern Douro Superior region also produces wines of the highest quality. 'Corgo' refers to the Corgo River, a major tributary of the Douro River.

A view of Dow's 'Quinta do Bomfim' vineyard.

The vineyards where grapes for Dow's vintage Port grow are located in the premier Cima Corgo subregion. 'Quinta do Bomfim' has played a central role in Dow's vintage Port since 1896 and is considered one of the finest vineyards in the Douro Valley. Situated between the relatively humid Baixo Corgo to the west and the intensely hot Douro Superior to the east, Bomfim benefits from optimal climatic conditions for producing high-quality grapes.

Port wine is mostly made by blending various grape varieties, primarily five indigenous red grape varieties used in premium Port production: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinto Cao. These grapes all have black fruit and floral aromas, small berries, and thick skins, resulting in high tannin levels, making them suitable for producing rich and concentrated Port wines.

'Quinta do Bomfim' winery's 'Lagare'.

Bomfim is planted with these varieties and old mixed vines, with each vineyard carefully managed. Harvesting begins annually between August and October. The harvested grapes are transported to the winery and crushed in a modern 'lagar,' a wide granite vessel. Traditionally, grapes were crushed by foot in the lagar, but the Symington family introduced robotic lagars in the late 1990s, marking an innovation. The robotic lagar uses mechanical legs attached to a large stainless steel tank to gently crush grapes, with the leg temperature controlled to about 37°C, similar to human body temperature. The Symington family first used robotic lagars for the 2000 harvest, and today, most top Port companies have adopted this technology.

The crushed grapes are fermented in tanks, converting sugars into alcohol. Simultaneously, flavors, color, and aromas are extracted from the grape skins. After about 36 hours, when roughly half the sugars have converted to alcohol, fermentation is stopped by adding 'Aguardente,' a grape spirit with 77% alcohol. The high alcohol kills the yeast, halting fermentation, resulting in a sweet wine with about 70g (7%) residual sugar per liter and an alcohol content of approximately 20%.

Wines to Enjoy Comfortably at Year-End Gatherings: White Port

'DOW's Late Bottled Vintage Port 2018'

Besides vintage Port, Dow offers many notable Port wines. A representative example is 'DOW's Late Bottled Vintage Port' (LBV). Like vintage Port, LBV is made from grapes harvested in a single year, but unlike vintage Port, which ages in the bottle for a long time, LBV is aged in oak barrels for 4?6 years before bottling and can be enjoyed immediately without further aging. Dow's LBV is considered a textbook example of modern LBV, featuring a deep ruby color and complex flavors of plum, violet, and spices. On the palate, vibrant and spicy fruit flavors spread richly, finishing with Dow's characteristic dry finish that is not overwhelming.

While Port wine generally evokes images of high-alcohol, rich red wines, there is also a lighter style called white Port. 'DOW's Fine White Port' is a basic white Port made from indigenous grape varieties grown in the Douro Valley. Most of the wine is aged in oak, with some aged in stainless steel tanks, resulting in a complex aroma of rich nuts and golden color with fresh fruit character. On the palate, it expresses excellent acidity, smooth texture, and fresh fruit character in balance, finishing with Dow's signature long, dry finish. It is aged for three years and released ready to drink. It can be enjoyed lightly as a pre-dinner drink at year-end gatherings, served as a 'Port Tonic' by mixing with tonic water and lemon, similar to a highball.

'DOW's Fine White Port'