White Port

Representing a not-insignificant 20% of total production in 2024, white Port is one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving Port styles. Pop a bottle in the fridge, and enjoy it for up to two weeks or so after opening

- STORY & SELECTION INES SALPICO

For many, the Douro's fortified wines are synonymous with red grapes. The region's viticulture, however, has a more complex history, with field blends dotted with white varieties.

Mostly harvested together, they played a balancing role in red Port and contributed to its complexity and ageworthiness. White grapes-only vineyards, and hence white grapes-only Port, accounted for a minimal share of production.

Beyond viticulture and tradition, another factor was at play: with many Port shippers also trading in Sherry, the latter made up the 'white' share of their portfolio. Focusing on red Port meant a clear commercial message and a neat split. Houses with a historical specialism in white Port – notably Kopke – remained curious outliers.

Then, the turn of the third millennium brought a new generation of winemakers and blenders to the fore. Both Tiago Alves de Sousa, the fifth generation at the helm of his family's winery (see 'Editor's picks', p112), and Carlos Alves, director of viticulture and oenology at Kopke, agree that this influx of new blood was a decisive factor in white Port's recent rise.

For Alves, the white category's rapid evolution is woven into the similarly impressive development of Douro still wines. 'It meant a greater understanding of the potential of different varieties and of how they perform in specific terroirs. And a major realisation has been that the Douro is a region of great whites,' he says.

Alves de Sousa agrees: 'This exploration, through the lens of Douro [still, unfortified] wines, meant greater awareness of the potential of each variety, some being more aromatic, others more structured, and so on.'

Necessary change