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Port.
oi
/w
X
Alto
Douro.
The
choicest
vineyards
are
situated
on
a
succession
of
hills
on
each
side
of
the
river
Douro,
distant
about
50
miles
from
Oporto,
from
which
place
the
wine
derives
its
name,
i.e.,
Porto,
or
Oporto
wine.
The
vintage
season,
which
begins
in
September
and
ends
in
October,
is
capable
of
producing,
in
favourable
years,
70,000
pipes
of
wine,
each
pipe
averaging
about
1
1
5
gallons.
The
vintages
are
divided
into
separate
classes,
the
principal
being
those
which
are
termed
Factory-
wines
(
vintros
cle
Feitoria),
or
assorted
wines
for
exportation
to
England,
and
“
vintros
separados,”
or
assorted
wines
for
home
and
other
consumption.
Mr.
Oswald
Crawford,
in
his
Consular
Commercial
Report,
gives
the
following
account
of
Port
wine-
making
:
—
“
The
wine-making,
though
at
first
pri-
mitive,
is
in
all
essential
particulars
very
cautiously
and
skilfully
performed.
The
over-ripe
or
inferior
grapes
being
picked
out,
the
best
are
thrown
into
a
large
stone-built
vat
(
lagar
).
Into
this
as
many
men
as
can
easily
find
room
enter
and
tread
out
the
juice
;
the
must
is
then
allowed
to
stand
till
a
thorough
fermentation
has
taken
place.
It
is
now
that
a
small
portion
of
brandy
is
added,
as
is
also
done with
Sherry
and
Madeira,
to
prevent
the
wine,
containing,
as
it
does,
so
manyrich
ingredients,
from