🍷 Niepoort Ruby Port

Niepoort Ruby Port is a Ruby Port from the house Niepoort of Vila Nova de Gaia.

According to the house, the grape varieties are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Francisca, Tinta Amarela, Sousão, Tinta Roriz and others; the grapes come from old low-yielding vineyards in the Cima Corgo and are mostly foot-trodden in lagares; the wine ages for an average of 3 years in large oak vats; the alcohol is 19.3 %; residual sugar is 100 g/l.

Niepoort is a family Port house in Vila Nova de Gaia dating back to 1842; according to the house, it has made wine for six generations and began with Port in the Douro.

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.