Product Review

Authoritative and entertaining, the completely updated third edition of Richard Mayson’s Port and the Douro offers unparalleled insight into the world of port and Douro wines. From the history of the wine trade in Portugal to the present day, this book is rich in information, offering readers the inside story of these magnificent wines, including a great deal of new material on the cultivation of the Douro’s vineyards.
An entire chapter is dedicated to vintage port, covering harvests as recent as 2015 and providing information on vintages going back to 1844. All the producers and shippers are included in a comprehensive directory which reflects the structural changes the trade has undergone in recent years, with withdrawal of the multinationals and the sale and amalgamation of a number of famous port firms. Mayson closes by addressing some of the challenges and changes that might affect port and Douro wines in future. A comprehensive study of port and its production, this is an indispensable reference guide to the world’s greatest fortified wine.