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The Douro River and Port
The Douro River runs from Spain (where it is called the Duero River) through Portugal, finally meeting the sea at the coastal city of Porto, Portugal. Port wines are made from grapes grown along the Douro river starting about 50 miles upriver from Porto and extending all the way to the border with Spain. The grapes grow on steeply terraced slopes along the river. If you ever get the chance to visit as we did in late 2019, make sure you have plenty of your favorite motion sickness medicine as the roads wind endlessly in and out along the river!

(click on any photo for a full size slideshow)

Beautiful countryside, but be ready for endless twists and turns!

The entire region is terraced to allow viticulture.

Look carefully to see the Douro river in the center of the photo

How to Take Your Port
Pairing Port with a sweet dessert always seems like a bit too much sweetness to me. I much prefer Port with nuts or cheeses. My favorite is just to enjoy the Port as the dessert itself.  In the summer, why not give this Port pairing a try: A glass of Port, a campfire and a starry night.  Perfect!

30 Seconds of evening peace and quiet (listen with sound on!)

Port Styles
In case you need a reminder, there are two main styles of Port, with lots of variations. The W&J Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Porto Special River Quintas Edition fits into the Reserve Ruby category. Expect deep color and deep fruit.

Disclosure: The wine in this post was provided as a sample. No other compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine.

W&J Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Porto Special River Quintas Edition

Graham’s Special River Quintas Edition “Six Grapes” Reserve Porto (sample, $42 SRP or online here)
Eye: Clear, deep ruby in color. Deeply extracted and thick legs form in the glass.
Nose: Clean, medium plus intensity aromas of violets, ripe blueberries and blackberries, black cherries, blueberry pie filling. Less intense aromas of prunes. A bit of alcoholic heat on the nose.
Mouth: On the palate the wine is sweet with pronounced intensity flavors which echo the nose: violets, ripe blueberries, blackberries, black cherries, prunes, blueberry pie filling. The acidity is medium, tannins are medium plus and velvety and soft. Body is full, with a luscious texture, alcohol is high, and the finish is medium plus, lingering on sweet fruit and smooth tannins.
Observation: A very nice wine for after dinner enjoyment. Side benefit: an open bottle of Reserve Ruby Port will last for weeks in the frig after opening. There’s no rush to finish the bottle.