Port

Port is Portugal’s most famous fortified wine and one of the world’s most admired. The vineyards and some of the maturation facilities are in the Douro region; the trade is based in the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Vila Nova de Gaia, situated just south of Port, is also where the historic Port maturation lodges are located. Unlike Sherry, Port is always sweet and based on a blend of red grapes, which results in a purple, ruby, or tawny color depending on the aging process. Five red grapes used to produce port, Touriga Nacional (the finest), Touriga Franca (the most widely planted), Tinta Roriz (also known as Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cão. A small quantity of white Port is also produced from white grapes.

Sherry is one of the ‘big three’ of the fortified wine world, along with Port and Madeira. It is produced in southern Spain in the coastal area around the town of Jerez de la Frontera. Most of the vineyards for Sherry are planted on the chalky albariza soil.

Rosé’s popularity seems unstoppable, and consumers today can choose from an increasingly wide range of rosé from around the world. Europe, particularly France, Spain, and Italy, accounts for the lion’s share, with over half of the rosé wine produced globally.

Vega Sicilia is unquestionably Spain’s most iconic estate, and it is universally considered Spain’s First Growth. Unico, a mythical wine with over a century of history and tradition, is the estate’s flagship wine. It is produced from the estate’s best parcels and released only after an extensive aging process that provides a distinctive identity to the wine and its legendary aging potential. Unico is, without doubt, one of the world’s greatest reds. Not surprisingly, Unico means “unique” or “the only one.”