We signed up for a tour of Sandeman. We had wanted to tour Graham's but the tours were sold out when we tried to reserve 2 weeks in advance. Sandeman was started in 1790 and is now one of the most well known port houses.
The "Don" was created in 1928. The figure wears a Spanish hat, a Portuguese student's cape and holds a ruby glass.
Sandeman was a fun tour. The tour was led by a caped guide, lasted 1 hour, included 3 tastings and cost €17. The tour leads you through the storage areas. There is no production onsite in Vila Nova de Gaia.
At the end of the tour, you get to taste 3 different ports--a tawny port, a ruby port and a white port. Port is a fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley. Tawny ports are aged longer in wood while ruby ports (the most common port) are aged mainly in concrete or stainless steel to preserve the fruitiness. There are 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old Tawnies, representing a blend of several vintages to achieve the age profile. It doesn't necessarily mean that the wine was produced 10, 20, 30 or 40 years ago. The white port is made from white grapes. Some white port has been aged long enough that it takes on a dark color and may be indistinguishable from port made from red grapes.
2022 09 25
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