Porto Portugal is a beautiful city with much to offer, including its sister city of Vila Nova de Gaia and the Port Wine Cellars. Port wine is a sweet dessert wine fortified with brandy; the alcohol content is approximately 20%. Port wine is sipped from a 3 oz glass, used to make fabulous cocktails, or simmered to prepare sauces and glazes. It became popular after England boycotted French wine in the 17th Century and began getting their red wine from nearby Portugal. Brandy was added to the wine to preserve it during the transport to England. This fortification resulted in a sweet red wine with high alcohol content (19-22%).
There are 52 Portuguese grape varieties used to produce Port wine grown on steep terraced hillsides in the Douro Valley. These terraced vineyards are referred to as the Stairways to Heaven and many of the vineyards are classified as World Heritage. Historically the wine was transported from the Douro Valley vineyards to the Port cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia on barcos rabelos. Today the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia are open to the public and it is possible to cruise down the Douro River on rabelo.
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