Garrafeira and Ruby port
The beginning of wine cultivation in Portugal can be traced back to several eras before the birth of Christ when Portugal had been absorbed as a part of the Roman Empire. Today, the country has emerged as one of the premier wine exporters.
Portugal can be aptly given the title of being the ‘land of wines’. Some of the regions produce supreme quality wines which are known for their great flavor. Vintage wines are obtained upon ling term aging and preservation in wooden barrels also called ‘wood ports’. Garrafeira is a unique quality wine which is produced by the combination of various processes. It is a variety of Port wine which is constituted by grapes gathered from a single harvest and is exposed to the process of oxidation while maturing within the wood ports and also receiving further aging in huge glass demijohns. According to the rules and regulations laid down by the IVDP, it is compulsory for these wines to spend a period of at least three to six years within the wood ports and then being transferred to the glass demijohns where they are stored for a period of another eight years before they are bottled and made ready for the market. However, it has been noticed upon close observation that the Garrafeiras usually have to spend more time than stated in the glass demijohns.
The cheapest form of Port wine available is known as Ruby port. It probably derives its name from the ‘rabelos’ which is the name given to the traditional boats which are employed in transporting the Port wines for aging and storage by the Douro river near Porto. Ruby wines are stored in stainless steel barrels to prevent aging due to oxidation and this also enables in preserving its ruby color. The Ruby wine is subjected to cold filtering before bottling and it has been usually noticed that this kind of wine does not improve with age.
