Book Review: Port and the Douro by Richard Mayson

This is the 4^th edition of Richard Mayson’s detailed treatise on the Douro, first published in 1999.  It is an extensive reworking of the previous edition with updates on the vintages, the producers and the Douro wine industry.  However, the focus of this book is clearly on Port.  Mayson has written another book, The Wines of Portugal, that puts the emphasis on table wines.

This book is of personal interest as my own travels in Portugal roughly parallel those of Mayson, although he has spent much more time in that country than I have.  We both made our first trips to Oporto and the Douro shortly after the fall of Salazar.  I first traveled there in 1975, one year after his demise, when much of the country seemed to be mired in the 19^th century.  My purpose was more tourism than wine, but I did travel up the Douro before continuing to Spain, and I purchased a WWII vintage Port that still sits in my cellar.  Since that first trip, I’ve returned to the country to visit wineries and vineyards in the Douro and elsewhere to produce two lengthy International Wine Review reports (a third is overdue!) on the wines of Portugal.  One other minor parallel—both Richard Mayson and I have benefited from lodging provided by Jorge Roquette at the magnificent Quinta do Crasto sitting high above the Douro.

Mayson starts his book with the history of Port. This beverage came about as the result of Britain’s war with France in the late 17^th century, the imposition of high tariffs on French wine and the reduction of tariffs on Portuguese wine, and the subsequent increase in wine exports to Britain that passed through the port of Oporto. These wines were fortified to withstand transport to Britain and become known as Port wines. As Port increased in popularity it attracted competitors, including from Turkey, leading the government to create the Região Demarcada do Douro, one of the world’s first wine appellations.

Mayson goes on to explore the vineyards and quintas where the grapes are grown for Port; examine and evaluate the vintages of Port from as early as 1844; give detailed profiles of the major producers and shippers; and, in a new addition, write about the non-fortified wines and producers of the Douro.

Richard Mayson’s Port and the Douro is the bible of Port.  It belongs in the library of every Port connoisseur and every wine lover who wants to learn more about this magnificent beverage. Published by The Classic Wine Library, 2024.