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Return to Newsletter Archive Index
For The Love Of Port Dear friends of Port wine,
No one who
knows me would normally describe me as naïve, but little did I realize the
impact of my words in the May edition of FTLOP newsletter. That all
changed over the past few weeks, after I featured a piece in issue #8,
entitled: Ranking the Port Shippers and Producers: The Top 30.
After
publication, I rather quickly received around a half dozen emails and even
a phone call one very early morning, from principals within the Port
trade. It seems that my placement of Shippers and Producers into a “tier
system” caused a minor commotion and certainly a few discussions. I no
longer have any claims of naïveté as a writer.
As with each
and every segment that is included in
FOR THE LOVE OF PORT,
considerable thought went into the rankings as well as the parameters
utilized to determine the placement within the various tiers. As a Port
loving amateur journalist, I lacked the perspective to foresee the train
wreck just around the bend. In all fairness, the emails were extremely
professional and polite. However, they were clear as an azure sky in
summer, and their “suggestions” left little to the imagination. One such
respected industry respondent explained that these rankings could take on
more historical significance than he believed I had realized. Humility
tastes better, when sprinkled with sugar and consumed for breakfast.
Although it
would have been easy to ignore or to politely brush these comments aside,
I realized that within a week, I would be facing a few of these same gents
whom had penned critiques, in person. So, with honesty as the best policy,
no excuses were offered and I did my best to provide specific details,
stating my case backing up the rankings.
Last
Thursday, as Nero’s violins played loudly within my skull, I entered the
large banquet room to taste a wonderful cross-section of 2003 Vintage Port
cask samples. It was time to face the music. For the sake of brevity,
fortunately, along with my rankings, I was at the butt end of some very
humorous teasing. “Sorry Roy, we can’t pour this 2nd tier Port for YOU
today.” And so it went.
I even had to
face my good friend Bartholomew Broadbent that afternoon, who wondered
aloud why I had left his fine Ports out of my Top 30 list, altogether. My
simple, tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek response was, “well Bartholomew, by
doing so, I am now able to use your name as a prime example of my not
playing favorites.” Lucky for me, he has a fine sense of humor.
Certainly
less controversial, this month’s newsletter has some recent tasting notes
of 50 and 60 year old Vintage Port. Additionally, there is a timely report
on “NEW” regulations just released by the Port and Douro Wine Institute.
It is the first time these regulations are appearing anywhere in the
world, in English. In the “what do you want to be when you grow up”
category, I have provided the specifics of an entrepreneurial plan for my
near-future career aspirations. Also, enjoy the view of some intriguing
Port statistics!
Last but not
least, my website FOR THE LOVE OF
PORT will go live, later
this summer. The newsletter, archives of past articles and tasting notes,
interactive message board, dozens of relevant links, industry guests etc.
will all continue without any subscription fee. After all, it is truly for
the love of Port that I do this. As you will read, I will soon have access
to more picture taking (which I love), visitation of Lodges, Quintas and
vineyard sites, as well as both Port and Madeira wine. I look forward to
sharing many fun stories for years to come. More details to follow, as
they progress.
Thanks for
your supPort!
Roy
CONTENTS:
~ A New Career
Direction: Converting a passionate hobby into a new career
~ Port Exports to: The
United States
~ Tasting Notes: Ports
from 1945, 1955 , 1965 and my first ever, 100 pt. Port
~ Roy’s Port Website
Recommendation: The Port and Douro Wine Institute
~ New Regulations from
the IVDP: Changes to various Special Categories
~ PortoLover's
Mailbag: Letters and e-feedback
~ Coming in the July
issue: 2003 Vintage Port Forecast
FOLLOWING A DREAM TO A NEW CAREER DIRECTION We don’t always see them coming, but passages are not to be taken lightly when they finally become evident.
After spending the past half year considering options and spending lots of wonderful time with our young daughter, (named after the Port in the accompanying picture) a close friend in Portugal approached to discuss entering into a joint venture. It took me less than 24 hours to say “yes” to this great opportunity. My previous career was satisfying, but now is the perfect time to do something for the love of it. For the past decade or more, I have thought long and hard about how to combine my knowledge and passion for Port and earn a living at the same time. I have rebuked all offers to be a Port salesman, as that would be the quickest way for me to fall out of love. Making Port would be a dream-come-true, but is unrealistic at this point. Fortunately, I think I’ve found the second best possibility.
Along came the phone call from Portugal, and we discussed the possibilities.
We agreed
_____________________________________________________
At-a-glance report on Port exports to the USA 7 YEAR HISTORY, CATEGORIZED BY PORT STYLE - (TOTAL CASES)
BIRTH YEAR PORTS FOR THOSE
TURNING 40, 50 and 60 YEARS OLD,
PLUS MY “FIRST EVER” 100
POINT VINTAGE PORT WINE EXPERIENCE
1965 Rocha Colheita Port – The Rocha, (part of the Barros
stable of Ports along with Kopke) is showing a light tawny color with a
greenish tinge to the meniscus. Fine warm aromatics of marzipan, maple
syrup and toasted nuts. I really liked the gracefully smooth softness of
this Colheita which enveloped my entire palate and was lifted by the
perfect dose of acidity. Highlighting walnuts rather than hazelnuts,
which I often find in Rocha's aged Colheitas, on the medium length
finish, those celebrating their 40th birthday or anniversary will have a
tough time finding anything better than this from ‘65. 92 points
 1955
Graham’s Vintage Port – A long and warm growing season gave way
to extremely high temperatures in early September, but rains were badly
needed in the Upper Douro and finally came at the end of the first week
of Sept. Fortunately, excellent conditions prevailed throughout the
entire harvest. Large bunches and large grapes were abundant and those
that were patient to begin picking were rewarded with richly flavored
grapes. Many 1955s today are still very well-balanced and concentrated
VPs. Most bottling took place in London and these bottlings are easier
to come by today than those from Portugal. This bottle was clearly
stored perfectly. I have enjoyed the '55 Graham's on numerous occasions
and this bottle showed extremely well. The color was a solid garnet with
just the slightest evidence of bricking on the edge. It showed far less
evolution than some of my other bottles. This Graham’s is offering spicy
and herbal notes with mint, violet and lavender aromas. Great purity of
Elderberry fruit here with a hint of anise and a slight touch of spirit.
Impressively young and seemingly, this bottle could have continued to
age well for 2+ decades. 97 points 1945 Sandeman Vintage Port – Rich, dense, with youthfulness that belies the true age of this fine VP. Due to the preserved ruby and a rim which showed little development, most guesses at the table were in the mid-1980 range and only one person thought “1970” out loud. Offering a great nose of rose petals, spicy cinnamon and licorice. This Port provided palate pleasing plump red berry fruit and sweet grenadine flavors that were quite appealing, with concentrated flavors that improved in the glass. Overall, a skillfully balanced VP providing a smooth, velvety finish with candied nut nuances that kept on coming. As good a showing as any ’45 Sandeman I’ve experienced. Drink now or anytime during the next decade. A great wine to toast a 60th birthday! 94 points  1994
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port – Let me start by saying
that this is only the 2nd wine I have ever anointed with a perfect score
and the first Port. I’ve enjoyed this VP on a handful of memorable
occasions and it has always provided a great deal of pleasure. The last
time I had this wine in February, it was not showing as well as I have
come to expect. However, the previous two times I had this wine, it
deservedly scored 99 points. It is without doubt the greatest Nacional
since the superlative 1963 (which is saying a lot). Inky black in color,
the ‘94 provides the pure essence of grapes with some mocha and cinnamon
spice. On the palate this Nacional delivers absolutely delicious juice
that is not only very approachable today, but has all the stuffing to
see the next century. No, not decade … century! The overall structure is
apparent in every sip with enormous power. I’ll probably wait to drink
my 1 bottle until my daughter’s wedding day. This provided one of the
most intense and lingering aftertastes of any wine I’ve ever had. Sixty
years from now people will talk about this “legendary Port” as we do the
1931 Nacional today! 100 points
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
Roy's Monthly Port Website Recommendation : For June, I have again selected the Port and Douro Wine Institute (IVDP) as it is one of the greatest resources for information on Port, anywhere. This quasi-governmental organization was founded in 1933 (coincidentally the final year of America’s Prohibition). It is wholly responsible for the regulation and promotion of the Port and table wines of the Douro River Valley wine region. Please have a look at: http://www.ivp.pt/ *
* * * *
Are you
hunting for a job this season?
Perhaps you'll find your dream job in the wine industry at
this website where you can post your résumé, search for openings and apply
for jobs at wineries, restaurants and hotels in North America, Australia or
Europe. I know both founding partners of this website, from when I first
moved to Washington State. We all worked for the same company and then they
had this great idea. I am happy to see how well their venture has taken off
and their greatest success is the number of people they have helped. Dozens
of wineries participate and
Wineandhospitalityjobs.com is
a winner. So, go check it out and begin 2005 with a bang!
Portugal’s Pyramids: Terraces in the
Douro *
* * * *
~
Letters and e-feedback: This is where
your influence counts! You send in your questions on Port, suggestions for
improving this newsletter or ideas for future consideration. I do my very
best to respond to each and every email I receive and include some of those
responses to the questions, here: Hi Roy, I was delighted to see your e-mail and Issue
#8 in my in-box this morning; it was the first one I read. Thanks so much
for including me in your distribution list, your newsletter fills a big gap
for me and remains one of the best places I have found for detailed
information on Port. Your comment that a 40 year old VP still costs less
than a modern first growth couldn't be more right-on - what have I been
thinking? That comment alone has changed the way I'm going to think about
buying older wines from now on. I started drinking Port
about ten years ago and today I not only enjoy VP but have also "discovered"
Tawnies, Madeira and "stickies" from Australia. Which got me thinking: if I
like all these red-based dessert wines I wonder if I would like white-based
dessert wines, especially since I don't really appreciate white wines in
general. Good news for me, I've taken to Sauternes, Tokaji, Ice Wine, etc.
too. I noticed you mentioned Tokaji in passing in this newsletter - are you
considering expanding the scope of your newsletter to other dessert wines
aside from Port? Given your comments on your career change, I suspect you're
very busy, but as I'm sure you know it's equally hard to find quality
information and discourse on the many other types of dessert wines out
there. Last thought: a local
retailer has three bottles of 1966 Grahams VP for sale. Since that's my
birth year I'm very interested in it, would love to know your thoughts on
quality (should I buy one?) and age-ability (should I buy all three?).
Many thanks again for your
newsletter and great advice. Matt MacIver, Charlotte, NC
Dear Matt, Thanks for the great email. Before I make
suggestions, I just want to let you know that in 95% of the cases, Madeira
is considered a dessert wine made from WHITE grapes and can be added to your
list of other white dessert wines you love … and it is Portuguese!
I am glad that you are now one of the
"converts" and have come to realize the inherent value of Port. I have a
friend who was complaining to me recently about the high pre-release prices
of the 2003 Vintage Ports, saying he could buy 1985s for the same price and
they’d be ready to drink now. Of course he is right, but then again, the
value of having the new Vintage bottles aging in your own cellar to insure
the long term provenance, adds lots of value to the equation. Buying older
wines, without asking lots of questions, is always a "caveat emptor"
situation, albeit VPs tend to be a hardy lot and not as susceptible as many
other wines, to minor storage fluctuations. That said, comparing the current price of a
1966 Graham, say $150 in the USA now, (I saw them selling for $130 on sale
recently) versus that of any of the top 5 first growth Bordeaux from the
same vintage, and you will have to admit that aged Vintage Ports are a
fantastic bargain. Compare the same bottle of Graham (that you asked about)
to ANY wine type that may still not only be alive at nearly 40 years old,
but drink GREAT at this stage, (and will be a great wine when you celebrate
your 50th birthday too) as the Graham’s 1966
certainly do, and there is just no reason to make further comparisons.
Vintage Port, whether young or old, is not only a fantastic value … but when
put into context of other great wines of the world, it is truly one of the
most undervalued wines on the market. For those quibbling about paying the early
tranch (en primeur prices) offering for 2003s that are really wonderful
wines, just think that the current release prices of better caliber CA Cabs
like Ridge Monte Bello, Chateau Montelena or Phelps’ Insignia (to name 3 of
my personal favorites), are all considerably more money! Now comparing the
top echelon of 2003 Vintage Ports (see my last newsletter for Roy’s Top 30)
to the top tier of California Cabs, better known as "Cult Cabs" and further
comparison is a futile waste of time. I am done defending the pricing on
Port wine, again and I do realize you were not the one presenting the
challenge. Lastly, although I may expand my center of
attention from Port to other Portuguese dessert wine (Madeira in particular)
or possibly even table wines in the future, I can say with confidence, that
my newsletter will NEVER expand its focus beyond the borders of Portuguese
properties. Hello Roy, Can you please
answer my following question: I would like to start collecting Port wine,
but I'm not sure what I should invest in, especially in the last 10-15
years. Can you please advise me what the best vintage years to collect are?
I thought I would start with this question first. I have so many, but I'll
wait for your first response. Regards, Wesley Wood Gilbert, Arizona
USA Dear Wesley, At best, it is difficult to advise you
without knowing more about your Port investment strategy and goals. I wish I
knew your age and what sort of money you’d like to put towards your future
drinking pleasure, and over how many years. So, please realize that this
will have to be a generalized response to your question, as I am not aware
of what you are trying to achieve in terms of size of the collection, depth
of producers and vintages and many other parameters that would help me
provide you with a more attuned response. I suggest that you start off with some of the
older and lesser appreciated vintages in which you can still find fabulous
wines at reasonable prices. 1980 is a great example and there are lots of
fine VPs that came from this vintage which are drinking brilliantly today. I
would also look at both 1983 and 1985, but do not overlook some of the very
fine wines that were produced in 1987. For example, I recently purchased
another case of 1987 Quinta de Vargellas for a ridiculous price (and wish I
had been smarter and had purchased two) and this wine can be cellared for
another decade or two, although I am drinking them today, while many others
in the cellar continue to age. 1991 and to a lesser extent the 1992 vintage,
offer some excellent values if you get beyond the most obvious selections.
Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Infantado, Croft, Niepoort, Warre and Martinez
"Eira Velha," come immediately to mind. Another vintage that "got no
respect" was 1995, which in its own right was a very fine vintage, but was
all but forgotten in the shadows of the exemplary 1994. Now make sure you use the Professional
version of www.winesearcher.com and do your diligence. Ask all the
right questions re: provenance, when seeking out cases or bottles for your
cellar. Remember, when the price looks to attractive … there is a reason for
that and it sometimes does not pay to save a few dollars per bottle. If
making a serious purchase, ask the vendor to provide digital photos of the
lot you are interested in. I do! Good luck! Mr. Hersh, I am not very
knowledgeable regarding Port. We were recently given a bottle of 2000
Grahams Vintage Port as a gift. The only drinking window information that I
could find said "Best after 2025"! If the '25 date is factual I will accept
it and give the wine to my kids in my will, but is there any chance that we
could drink it before then without committing infanticide? Is there a more
tolerable waiting period than 20 years that would still allow this port to
exhibit its better characteristics? Thank You, Sam Platt Kokomo, Indiana Dear Sam, What a very generous gift you have received.
I need more friends like yours! Drinking windows are very subjective. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder after all and 2025 was just one man’s opinion
of the best time to drink the wine. I don’t disagree that your bottle of
Graham’s will have evolved and will be showing much more intricate nuances
by that point. However, I also think that this bottle could be opened today
and enjoyed. Infanticide to me is younger than 15 years old, except if you
want to open one bottle of a larger stash to appreciate it, in its youth.
Otherwise, I personally prefer mature Port and wine in general. But, many
wine lovers enjoy the fresh, bright primary fruit (think in terms of a big,
young juicy California Cabernet vs. one 20 years old) of a young Vintage
Port. It really depends on your taste preferences. There is almost no
"wrong" time to drink a Vintage Port, except when you are driving! My
suggestion is to look forward towards a major birthday, anniversary, or
other great reason to open the bottle and do so. But make sure to share it
with loved ones or close friends, as Port always tastes better that way!
Hello Roy, Newsletter - Good stuff and
most informative. Here’s a question to which you may have previously
published a response: I turned 55 on January 1st
(I typically nurse a nasty hangover on my birthday) – what is the latest
vintage port I should buy? Should I even consider recent or upcoming
vintages? Will my taste buds shrivel
and cease to function before my mind does? Cheers, Keith Goldstein, San
Francisco Dear Keith, If I were you, I’d be very concerned about
this. While you are at it, have your liver sent out for dry cleaning! It is
the type of gift that keeps on giving, if you know what I mean. If you have not heard yet, 2003 is the latest
and greatest Vintage Port to be generally declared by the industry. I have
tasted a number of the wines from this rather small harvest and have been
quite impressed. After all, there really is a reason behind the tradition of
only declaring Port vintages about 3 times per decade. But, at your age, I’d
suggest that you invest in older vintages that are either ready to drink
now, like 1955, 1963, 1966 and 1970 … OR … purchase vintages like 1977,
1980, 1983 and 1985 that can be consumed along the way, or kept in the
cellar to improve during your remaining years. Since I know you, I can joke
around about your age, but the advice given regarding what to buy, was not
tongue in cheek. Dear Roy, I am truly blessed to have a
wife who shares my love of wine, including Port. I'd love to find a special
bottle from the year (1955) she was born, as she turns 50 in June this year.
Can you direct me to how I might find something like this and do you have
any recommendations? Thanks in advance for any
help, Bill Fenlon (Who, alas, is
not independently wealthy...) Bill, There are many fine 1955 Vintage Ports on the
market. I opened a splendid bottle of Graham’s 1955 in May and those who
joined me in drinking it loved every sip! Look to Sandeman, Cockburn, Quinta
do Noval, Croft, Fonseca and Niepoort for excellent versions that are still
remarkable wines today. The best way to find a bottle is to do your homework
on www.winesearcher.com , and let your fingers do the walking. I love
the 1955s right now, as they are really singing and wish I could drink them
more often then I do. Roy, Thanks for all your insights
into the nectar the gods that you share with us. I have a friend born in
1967. I also have 2 bottles of QDN Nacional for this vintage. Should I hold
off until his 40th in a couple of years or is it ready to drink. How about
decanting time and food pairings? Thanks, Russell Lo, Honolulu, Hawaii
Dear Russell, The 1967 Quinta do Noval Nacional is a simply
fabulous wine and I would definitely wait the 2 more years to have one in
2007. It is so youthful that if you waited 13 for his 50th it would be
excellent then too. But if you have never tasted one, you owe it to yourself
to see how powerful this is at 40 years old! I enjoyed this wine both in
February of this year and more recently, from two different bottles on June
2nd (and several times in the past as it is one of my all-time favorite
Nacional!). I would decant it for six hours (in 2007) and
make sure you open it on a night or afternoon when you will finish the
bottle, of course. I will be having one in June of that year too, as I turn
50. Do not waste a single sip of this with food. Drink this AS dessert, all
by itself. Of course you may choose to ignore this advice and I would not
blame you, but I am a purist when opening a great bottle of this quality.
Your mileage may vary. Stilton or Manchego cheese (unless you can find the
fantastic Portuguese nectar called Serra de Estrella, a sumptuous cheese),
walnuts, and sliced apples are perfect Port pairings, in my opinion. But let
me say again, that a Port like Nacional is a dessert, if not a night, unto
itself. Alternatively, for others in the hunt, seek out 1967 Fonseca-Guimaraens,
Sandeman and/or Cockburn, all of which made very enjoyable vintage Ports
that year. Hi Roy, I had collected some bottles
of Port when I lived in Europe. I was going through all of my bottles
recently and I came across one I know nothing about. Perhaps if I describe
the label, you can tell me of the quality and history, or refer me to
someone that can. I have a neighbor that wants to buy this bottle from me,
but I have no idea of it's value. The label reads:Da Silva’s
Est.1813 PORT, Quinta do Noval, Vintage 1958, Bottled and Shipped by Antonio
J. da Silva & Co. Ltd. Oporto Portugal--NACIONAL--produced from pre-phylloxera
grapes. It is a very old bottle and has been well stored. I remember a
friend’s business associate gave it to me at his bodega in Oporto about 15
years ago. I would appreciate any information you may have on this bottle of
Port. Jim Williams Jim, I hope this helps you: 1958 Quinta do Noval Nacional - the first
wine and the first time, for me ... I like when that happens. Showing a
light-pinkish red with a caramel colored rim, the '58 offered a spicy note
that complemented the ripe plum aromas. It was unfairly placed next to the
1931s that follow in this flight, but fortunately I was not jumping ahead
and gave each wine its due. This is a wine of elegance and had a light body
and came from a vintage that was declared by few other Port players. Making
fine Ports in less than stellar vintages is one of Nacional's trademarks.
The 1958 provided lovely soft and sweet red fruits and surprisingly, some
tannins still took hold although they're somewhat demure at this point. The
dry and enduring finish portrayed the graceful style of this Nacional. 92
pts. (DRINK) This was my own tasting note for a bottle
consumed in Feb. 2004. Hi Roy, Thanks a lot for adding me to
your mailing list - great reading. If you could send past newsletters, it
would be very much appreciated. Regarding, Mathieu Brisson's
questions, I also live in Montreal and maybe I can offer some help. I travel
quite a bit and I am always amazed at how low the prices are here at the SAQ
given our high tax rates on alcohol. I would say that 2/3rd of the time,
when I see a bottle in a wine store in the U.S. that we have here, it is
cheaper to buy here. However, in recent years, a rather nasty
rationalization in the number of SKUs at the SAQ as resulted in a lot less
choice and prices have also increased a lot. The other important point to
note is that since everything is free market in the U.S., you do get great
deals compared to here if you shop around and you get a lot more variety.
This is especially true for anything pre-1977 where it's always cheaper in
the U.S. or UK. Some SAQ suggestions for Mathieu: Tawny: Barros 20 years (56$). Rivals
my favorites (Ramos Pinto and Ferriera) of that age group for 20$ less
Dow's 1982 colheita (60$).
Very nice, used to be 40$ a couple of years ago Vintages (ready to drink):
Dow's 1980 (100$): That one I
have found in NYC for a lot less (55$ U.S.) Dow's 1983 (95$) Kopke 1985 (60$): This was a
pleasent surprise, rather light, but didn't suffer any VA like some 1985.
Offley 1983 (80$): Probably
the best deal of the bunch. I was really impressed by that one. Smith Woodhouse 1985 (80$)
There are also quite a few
95's that are a great deal, like the Vargellas for 45$, but I bought all of
these :-) The SAQ often have products
come and go, so it's always a good idea to check in your store for pricing
errors (like the 1977 Dow for 99$) and be friends with the store manager.
And I'm sure Mathieu knows this already, but always make all your purchases
on December 26th when it's 25% off... Regarding US stores close by:
I have never found anything really interesting in Plattsburg and Burlington,
but it's probably worth looking around. The state liquor store in New
Hampshire on I-93 near the Mass. border has a nice selection. In NYC, Garnet
Liquors (Lexington and 68th) had great prices (1977 Smith Woodhouse for 70
USD). Please feel free to transfer
this to him as well as my e-mail address. Regards, Steve Culhane, Montreal,
Canada Dear Steve, Thank you for providing some excellent Port
insights for Mathieu. Much appreciated! Hi Roy, I would like to start
collecting port wine, but I'm not sure what I should invest in, especially
the early years. Can you please advise me what the best years to collect
are? I thought I would start with this question first. I have so many, but
I'll wait for your first response. Thank you in advance Wesley Wood, Dear Wesley, While the wines are still affordable, I’d
suggest you look for the 1980 vintage, which is under appreciated and
wonderful, as well as those other fine ‘80s vintages like 1983 and 1985.
That is where I would start as these will be drinkable now and for the next
2 decades in many cases. I would also look to fill in with vintages that are
bargains by comparison and ready-to-drink today, like 1995, 1987, 1991 as
well as a few 1978s. These are not the big vintages like the recent 1992,
1994, 1997 and 2000. You can always grab these over the next five years and
their prices for the latter vintages, won’t probably change too much. Once
you have a taste for the "good stuff" I’d suggest slowly purchasing well
stored bottles of older top vintages like 1977 and 1970 and we can broach
even more mature vintages, if you’d like. Enjoy the exploration!
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Nearly twenty five years have passed since
I devoted my life’s work to the hospitality industry, in one form or
another. I have worked for a ski resort, a plethora of restaurants, a meat
processing company, a purveyor of seafood, a pair of prominent airports, a
produce import company, a variety of hotels, as well as consulting for a
casino group, restaurant consortium, a wine importing company, a group of 5
golf resorts and a state fair. I have spent my entire adult life working
around food and beverages, making sure customers were always satisfied and
corporate costs were carefully controlled. I have been to the crossroads
before and enjoyed the sweeping changes that took place at the time. Just a
few years shy of 50 now; I am
ready for the next passage in life.
It is the responsibility of the
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (Port and Douro Wine Institute, or
IVDP) to regulate and monitor many facets of the Port wine industry as
well as to promote Port wine throughout the world. Once a new regulation
is to go into effect, it must first be published in the official
governmental gazette, Diário da Republica. This daily newspaper prints
all the laws and regulations decided upon and approved by the Portuguese
Parliament, which is based in Lisbon. The new law officially goes into
effect the moment of its publication and is made part of the public
record.
