Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

In a country as vast and rich in patrimony as Portugal, with regards to fortified wine in this case, I can hardly believe that there is no current publication of equal calibre written by a Portuguese specialist on the subject of Port wine. We must, therefore, thank the person who came from abroad with multiple decades of experience and wrote about Portuguese wines and then released a free edition – yes, you read correctly – of this fantastic guide to Port Wine.

 

The author is Richard Mayson, well renowned for books such as Portugal’s Wine and Winemakers, The Wines and Vineyards of Portugal or his best seller, Port and the Douro – already in its third edition and where this guide was taken from. This work is the result of many years visiting producers and performing tastings elbow-to-elbow with them, thus gathering as much information as possible. Richard Mayson has a comprehensive knowledge of wines from Portugal, and he is a specialist when it comes to fortified wines. He will soon be launching a book dedicated to Madeira Wine. He is, himself, a wine producer (Sonho Lusitano, or Lusitanian [Portuguese] Dream), having joined Rui Reguinga in Quinta do Centro (in Portalegre, Algarve), where he brews his Pedra e Alma, Duas Pedras and Pedra Basta (Stone and Soul, Two Stones and Enough Stone, respectively).

Bringing the focus back to this Guide to Port Wine, which promises to be a helpful asset to understanding what each year symbolises and highlighting what Mayson finds to be the best examples in the market. This 160-page-long book begins with a brief introduction about producing Port Wine, followed by a careful analysis of each harvest, from 2013 to 1844 – the oldest the author has ever tasted. We may also come to find quick notes regarding the main producers. The book was commendable to start with; now, having this guide close to your heart – i.e. in your smartphone or tablet – is compulsory.