Catálogo Missão Londres

The territory and its characteristics have made it
a unique winemaking area and earned the Alto
Douro Winemaking Region a listing as a UNESCO
World Heritage site in 2001.
Port and Douro wines are an excellent example of
the positive interaction and connection between
the region and its wines. It is up to each of us to
defend the continuity of this history, to safeguard
it as the territory moves forward with the
evolution and dynamism of previous generations.
THE STORIES
Port is a unique emblem of the sublime and
uplifting nature of the Douro Region. Given that
Port is a wine with long-standing traditions, it is
hardly surprising that there are numerous
captivating references to its history and the
rituals that are observed when it is served.
On the 21st of October 1805, Admiral Nelson,
commander of the British Fleet, was preparing
for the Battle of Trafalgar. The story goes that he
and his senior officers gathered to drink a glass
of Port as they finalised the details of the battle,
with the map of the opposing forces spread out
on the table before them.
Nelson is said to have dipped his
finger into his glass of Port (no doubt
a Ruby) and used that to draw the
lines of engagement: known as the
"Nelson touch".
That is how Port inspired a battle that changed
the course of European History!
It is also worth noting that members of the
British Royal Navy are allowed to make the
Loyal Toast whilst seated. This permission was
decreed by William IV (1765-1837) who, when
serving in the Navy, frequently cracked his
head on the low beams on board ship.
Port is the preferred wine for the Loyal
Toast in England.
Curiously, port is the only wine that members
of the British royal family serve themselves,
always passing it to the left, clockwise (the
side closest to the heart).
OTHER WINES IN THE DOURO
DEMARCATED REGION
"Douro is, within the cloak of
insignificance that enshrouds us,
the only immeasurable evidence
that enables us to astound the
world." (Miguel Torga, 1950)
Only such a region could bear the finest fruit
that nature can provide, producing intense,
full-bodied wines that are blessed with a
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