{This post is in response to the challenge from What Pegman Saw to look at Google Maps at the location of the Duoro River Valley, Portugal, and come up with a 150-word piece inspired by that location. I did not find a perfect picture, but the valley is known for its port wine, so I thought my own picture above would do.
For our vocabulary lesson: a “quinta” is a farm, or winery, and “must” is what the crushed grapes are called, while they are fermenting. Both “Tawny” and “Ruby Red” are types of port.
For more information on the process of making port, `there is a very good YouTube video called “Discover Port,” on LCBO Broadcasting Production Group with Michael Fagan narrating. }
Leland’s dad met Mrs. Pendulum at the quinta. She loved cooking. Leland’s dad loved Port wine. They both loved the corkscrew mountain roads.
While the fifty-somethings went wine-hopping, the seventeen-year-old was left to hike the quinta’s terraced vineyards.
Like most middle-aged occupations, making port took forever.
Laborers pulled voluptuous grapes from submissive vines. Bunches were plunked into buckets, crushed underfoot, alcohol-infused. For two years, grape “must” slept in wooden barrels. Sixteen years, in bottles. Then, with hot tongs and ice, it awoke.
Port was about making wine for the next generation, his dad said.
Filling a wide-bottomed decanter, sacrificing a sedimentary half-inch. A fitting, hippy companion for stinky cheese or chocolate.
“A fitting companion…” Leland thought, longingly.
At the next terrace, Brandy crouched. She adjusted her kerchief, which had the coveted privilege of holding back her tawny waves from her cheeks of ruby red.
Once decanted, drink all. Needs must.
The classy way to finish a meal. Port, cheese, and walnuts. It’s Portuguese, but the Brits perfected it.
Thanks J Hardy. The video and a few other sources said the British were relying on the French in the late 17th century for their fortified wine, and then they got into one of their squabbles, so a few enterprising British went down to Portugal and discovered winemakers there in the Duoro Valley already producing an unfortified red that was perfect for the job. They bought or started some wineries themselves and began to supply the British market. Taylor is one such label that started as a British concern and still remains under British management. They also have some exclusive winemaker’s club in Porto, where the port is shipped from. Each member has to give 20 cases of each wine to the club for their cellars, I think. The club meets and has a Wednesday Lunch, which includes a challenge, to guess which label a mystery vintage port from their cellars came from, just from tasting it. You also can’t just make a vintage port, it has to be pre-approved by a board of some kind. So interesting!
What a lovely story… and port… yum… Excellent way to end a meal!
Yes. Anything that goes with chocolate and cheese, I’m up for!
Indeed!!
Your descriptions, from the corkscrew mountain roads to Brandy are just wonderful! Well done.
Thank you Alicia!
With Brandy I was mainly inspired by two types of port: tawny and ruby red, both of which could translate to female features.
I love that idea of making something that takes so long it won’t be appreciated until the next generation: that’s dedication! Great symbolism linking the wine to the woman and the relationship; I hope that Leland’s dad really has found a fitting companion. Also, now I want port!!!
Yes long term thinking seems to be in short supply these days. Thank you on the symbolism: it’s fun to play with other people’s jargon. The woman at the beginning and the one at the end are from two different generations. The first his dads age, and the second Lelands, in case that wasnt clear.
Oh thanks, that wasn’t clear, but I see it now!
Oh, what a cunning story! I wondered about your descriptions – voluptuous grapes, submissive vines, the must sleeping. But then you introduce Brandy and it starts to look as though Leland’s holiday is going to become much more satisfying! I’m not sure “Once decanted, drink all,” is sound advice – but it sounds like fun!
Thank you Penny, I always look forward to your thoughts!
You definitely got where I was going with this, personifying port in the form of young Brandy.
I included the last line from the point of view of an over-eager teenager, trying, in a way, to literally follow his dads advice, to see if his dad’s mind-numbing lectures on port might just as well be applied to Brandy, but not necessarily having a clue as to how to go about it. ?
Nice description of wine making and wine tasting.
Dear Andrea,
It seems that Penny read my mind while commenting. 😉 Love this. Your descriptions are as voluptuous and tantalizing as your story. Although the hippy reference sent me straight to fondue. 😀 When we got married in 1971, we received 3 fondue pots. (I wish I’d kept one). At any rate very tasteful story. L’chaim.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank You Rochelle! We got a fondue set for our wedding, too, though it has long since gone by the wayside.
The hippy reference is accidental, although it could refer to the father and his whirlwind (free love)romance.
I was actually referring to the flask used to decant vintage port, which is wide at the base like a woman’s hips and slender at the neck.
Glad the description went over well. It’s interesting, how links and parallels present themselves, when we are deep in the meditative state of writing.
Bottoms up!
Love the use of wine making words in the descriptions there, wrapping wine and warm hills and women into the same, scrumptious whole. You made me think of sun and vineyards and the scent of fermenting wine – wow! So lovely
Though this is a post about port, rather than rose’ you have made me blush!?thank you for the kind comments!
My pleasure 🙂
Oh wow!! So many judicious word choices make this story one to savor. Much as one savors good wine, cheese, and chocolate. A delight!
Thanks bunches!
Lovely post! I don’t drink but when we in Porto last fall, HOB did a port tasting and he was in ecstasy. He’d appreciate the tawny waves and ruby red cheeks.
I put that in, referring to tawny and ruby red varieties of port. ?. Thanks for taking the time from your traveling escapades!
Yeah, he had the tawny and ruby and one other type, I can’t remember which. It has a lot to do with barrels but I snoozed on it. 🙂