Synopses & Reviews
An updated and expanded edition of the book that captures the essence of port and what it means to the people who produce it and who who drink it Packed with a wealth of up-to-date information, including a complete list of vintages and guide to tasting, this book will appeal to lovers of wine, food, and travel as well as the serious student of port. Ben Howkins offers a concise history of port and the port trade as they have developed over the last 300 years. He covers important changes in recent ownership of the major shippers and highlights the people driving change in the industry while protecting port’s heritage.
Review
"Ben Howkins’ classic handbook greets the new age of port with just the guide to these changes port lovers need. We may like our port old, but we need our sources constantly refreshed." —Hugh Johnson, author, The World Atlas of Wine
Synopsis
An essential reference guide to port, this book is recommended reading for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and other certification programmes. It describes the unique features of the Douro Valley, the cycle of work in the vineyards, historical production techniques and more recent innovations, and the role of the wine lodges where port matures before being shipped to its worldwide markets.
Ben Howkins offers a concise history of port and the port trade as they have developed over the last 300 years. He covers important changes in recent ownership of the major shippers and highlights the people driving change in the industry while protecting port's heritage.
About the Author
Ben Howkins was awarded the Vintners’ Scholarship in 1963, making him the youngest person to receive this award. His experience in Europe’s vineyards, working with many leading vintners, informs his commitment to educate others in the enjoyment of wine. He is a member of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto and the Vintners’ Company, cofounder of Royal Tokaji, and is wine advisor at Waddesdon, to Lord Rothschild, coowner of Chateau Lafite Rothschild. He is the author of Real Men Drink Port and Ladies Do Too!