Much of the same spirit and camaraderie still exists today, although most port is now machine pressed. After fermentation, the fresh wine is taken to the port lodges in Oporto and its neighboring city, Vila Nova de Gaia. In years past, the barrels of wine were ferried there on quaint barges called rabelos , but today's port is shipped by truck for expedience and safety. Once stored, it is labeled and, depending upon the quality of the port, aged either in wooden casks or bottles. The finest port is called vintage, meaning wine pressed in an exceptional year.
Most shippers manage to get only about three vintages per decade.
All ports should rest a long time before they are consumed, but vintage port requires the longest wait to be enjoyed. In order to mature, it must stay in the bottle a minimum of ten years and will improve steadily every year thereafter. It is a custom in England to buy a bottle of vintage port upon the birth of a child, which will be saved and used to celebrate the child's wedding. The other varieties of port, such as tawny, ruby and white, all have their merits and are usually more available. Make it one of your New Year's resolutions to re-aquaint yourself with the world of port.