The best Ports are made from blends and include cultivars such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta barocca, Tinta Roriz, Cornifesto and Souzâo. Port grapes are harvested at full maturity and are crushed by mechanical means.

Fermentation takes place in either traditional open casks or in modern, closed stainless steel fermenters. As with red wines, the skins tend to rise during fermentation and the ‘cap’ so formed has to be punched down or the wine pumped over to get colour and flavour extraction. Once the correct sugar level has been achieved through fermentation the wine is then fortified with the finest brandy spirit.

The Port is then aged in wood, the period of maturation depending on the type of Port being produced. Some like the Vintage Ports mature in large vats while Tawny Ports on the other hand, are matured in small 500-litre “pipes” before they are bottled.