🍷 Fonseca Siroco

Fonseca Siroco is a White Port from the house Fonseca of Vila Nova de Gaia.

According to the house, it is a dry White Port first introduced in the 1950s and named after the warm sirocco wind; Malvasia Fina dominates, with Gouveio, Viosinho, Rabigato and Arinto from cooler, higher vineyards; fermentation runs longer than for other Ports.

Fonseca is a Port house known as Fonseca; according to the house, its first recorded Port trade dates from 1815, by the founder João dos Santos Fonseca, and the Guimaraens family has run it for generations.

Port (Porto) is a protected designation of origin of the Douro Demarcated Region in northern Portugal; the name has been in the EU register since 24 December 1991. Fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit of 77 % vol approved by the IVDP, so the wine keeps natural sugar: Port has 19–22 % alcohol (light dry white from 16.5 %) and at least 17.5 g/l of sugar. The region is divided into Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior, with vineyards on steep terraced slopes.

According to the IVDP, Port comes as Ruby, Tawny, White and Rosé, with special categories — Reserve, LBV, Vintage, Colheita, wines with an age indication (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 80 years) and Crusted. Every lot is checked by the IVDP tasting chamber.

Under EU rules, a wine label must show the designation of origin, the actual alcoholic strength, allergens such as sulphites, and the name of the bottler. The word Porto on the label guarantees that the wine was made in the Douro Demarcated Region under the designation’s rules.

Why it matters to you. The category on the label (Ruby, Tawny, LBV, Vintage and so on) tells you how the wine was aged, not how strong it is. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol.