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Grape Stomper Todd dresses-down Port.
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On this day in 1809, the English Naturist Charles Darwin was born.
Wait a minute, aren’t naturists nudists? Well, that would certainly explain why he fell seriously ill on his first voyage to the tropics in 1832. He should have put on some clothes to avoid getting such a chill.
Fortunately, Charles got better. And then wrote this in his diary, “Cinnamon and Port wine cured me.”
That brings us to our Wine Word of the Day: Port (Part 1)
Okay, some think Darwin was a Naturalist and not a Naturist. I guess that why he’s such a controversial figure. Jeez, some people will fight like monkeys over anything!
Where was I? Oh yeah, Port. Here is your super fast introduction to Port:
Port is a fortified wine, meaning it is wine with brandy added to it. (You can listen to our September 12th episode about “Brandy” to learn more about that).
So how did this wine making style come to be?
In the late 17th century, Britain declared war on France. Shocker, huh? But it was a bummer for the English subjects, since they were very fond of French wine. So merchants went to Portugal to find a new supply for their wine-drinking habits. There, they found suitable red wines, but they would have to add a “bucket or two” of brandy to each barrel to help preserve it for the long journey back to England.
At some point, brandy was added to the wine before it was done fermenting. The result was a semi-sweet, high alcohol wine that the English fell in love with. The English began making substantial investments in the Portuguese wine business and is the main reason why some of the best known Port producers in Portugal have British names (like Graham, Dow, and Taylor, to name a few).
Okay, that’s enough for now. But here’s your take-away tip on Port. Just remember it has a higher alcohol content than regular table wine. So be careful! If you drink too much, you might feel like taking your clothes off.
And, finally, what does Port have to do with Charles Darwin, other than curing his illness? I’ll tell you what: Darwin, is the port city and the capitol of the Northern Territory of Australia and was named after him.
How’s that for a stretch?
Stay tuned for future episodes when I expose Port further in more revealing podcasts.
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