Port wine, wine of the heart , is almost mythical in its flavor and history.
Vintage port is a miraculous paradoxical mixture of strength and delicacy, sweetness and flavor.
Originally called Red Portugal , the wine is made from grapes grown in the unspoiled, rugged countryside of northern Portugal' s Douro Valley. The 1,000 square miles of vineyards in the city of Oporto are still some of the most remote areas of Western Europe. To visit Oporto is to go back in time. Britain turned to Portugal's port wine in the 17th century when war cut off their French Bordeaux supply. The 1703 Methuen Treaty promised trade without duty, with British woolen cloth bartered for Portugal's special wine.