Osborne White Port

The port city of Porto, situated at the mouth of the Douro River, gave its name to what is arguably the world's most famous wine. From there, this wine, highly prized in England since the mid-17th century, is shipped. Its growing region lies approximately 100 kilometers upstream in the upper Douro Valley. On the steep slopes, 80 different grape varieties thrive on heat-retaining slate soils, of which up to 40 are permitted for port wine production. Today, modern cellar technology ensures gentle pressing and temperature-controlled fermentation, which is stopped after two to three days by the addition of wine distillate. Osborne White Port, made exclusively from white grapes, is allowed to ferment until only a slight residual sugar content remains before wine distillate is added, resulting in a pale golden, delicately sweet aperitif port. The young wine is stored at the vineyards over the winter. In the spring, it is transported downstream to Vila Nova de Gaia, opposite Porto, where Osborne, like all famous port wine houses, has its "lodges." There, the wine matures for three years in wooden casks before bottling. Like most port wines, Osborne White Port is a blend of wines from different vineyards and vintages, ensuring consistent quality year after year.