A Little knowledge of Wine History

The roots of the Douro wines are already millenarian, having evolved constantly until they become in this drink that makes flaming any heart. Drinking a Porto or Douro wine is to drink from the region's own history, where there has never been a king as magnanimous as wine.

The earliest traces of vines in the region date back to the Bronze Age some three thousand years ago. However, the fact that carbonized grains of vitis vinifera (vine species) were found does not mean that cultivation of vines was a common practice. During the period of Romanization the vineyard culture had a great development, mainly after century I d.C., remaining vestiges of wineries and wineries in several archaeological stations of the region.

The importance of wine is perpetuated during the passage of the Suevi, Visigoths and Muslims. A large number of charters that were attributed to various settlements in the region during the 11th and 12th centuries, after the birth of the kingdom of Portugal on October 5, 1143, show the region's great vintners vocation.

During the thirteenth century, Porto served as a outlet for Douro wines, when connecting with international markets. The wines were taken to the Invicta City, in rabelos boats, through the river Douro. The export of Douro wines began to gain high importance during the reign of D. Fernando (1345-1383) in the fourteenth century, since the main revenues of the State were obtained through taxes on exports. During the reign of D. Manuel I (1469-1521) there were profound changes, due to the large quantities of wine necessary for the maritime expeditions. The monarch ordered the fishing canals on the Douro River to be demolished, to facilitate navigation between São João da Pesqueira and Oporto, and the flow of river circulation increased considerably. During the reign of King Ferdinand in the 14th century, the export of Douro wines began to gain considerable importance, as the main revenues of the State were obtained through taxes on exports.

The first reference to Port came in 1675 and was delivered by the diplomat Duarte Ribeiro de Macedo (1618-1680) during the Discourse on the Introduction of the Arts in the Kingdom, referring to wine exported to Holland. France began to be the main buyer of portuguese wines, but it was with the United Kingdom that these acquired greater importance.

The General Company of Agriculture of the Vineyards of the Alto Douro (1756-1960) appeared in 1756 to respond to bad relations between producers, portuguese merchants and foreign traders, as well as trying to rip the region's wines from the control of English merchants. This association, created by the Marquis of Pombal, obtains the exclusive sale of the port wine, in 1807.

Alto Douro Vinhateiro was the first regulated wine-growing region in the world, having been demarcated between 1757 and 1761, through large granite landmarks, with the word "Feitoria" and its date. This region was to be extended by D. Maria I (1734-1816), between 1788 and 1793, arriving at the Spanish border, in 1907, during the government of João Franco (1855-1929).

In 1844 a map of the demarcated region was created, which includes the prominent farms of that time. The author of this work, Joseph James Forrester (1809-1861), better known as Barão Forester, was one of the great pioneers of the port wine industry. He dedicated his whole life to the Douro and it was in his waters that he suffered, during a shipwreck at Cachão da Valeira, in São João da Pesqueira.

The present landscape of the slopes of the Douro began to be created in the decade of the 70, with the application of new techniques of planting of the vine in levels, with walls of schist to delimit each level.

The wines produced in the Douro have come a long way, having already won several prizes, not only Port wine, but also table wines, which were highlighted in 2010 in the Wine Enthusiast Top 100.