Colheita Port Wines

The most common types of port include:

1. Ruby Port: Arguably the most common type of port, ruby is often the most affordable port on the market. It is typically young, vibrant and fruity wine is blended to match a house style offering consumers consistency. Premium ruby port is typically aged in wood for about three years prior to bottling.  

2. Tawny Port: Tawny ports are aged in wooden barrels, giving them a nutty and mellow character. They come in different age categories, such as 10, 20, 30, and 40 years, indicating the average age of the blended wines. The longer the aging, the more complex and nuanced the flavors.
3. Vintage Port: Made from grapes harvested in a specific, declared vintage year, vintage ports are often considered the highest quality. They are aged in the bottle for many years and only produced in exceptional years. 

4. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port: LBV ports come from a single vintage but are aged longer in barrels before being bottled. Unlike vintage ports, LBV ports are ready to drink upon release and do not require additional aging.

5. White Port: While most port is red, white port is made from white grape varieties. It can be either dry or sweet and is often used as an aperitif

6. Colheita Port: Similar to vintage ports, Colheita ports come from a single vintage, but they are aged for an extended period in barrels before being bottled. Unlike vintage ports, Colheitas has the vintage year on the label but is not required to be declared.

7. Crusted Port: This is a blend of wines from several vintages, and it is unfiltered, forming a "crust" or sediment in the bottle. It requires decanting before serving.

8. Single Quinta Vintage Port: Produced in years when a full vintage declaration is not made, Single Quinta Vintage Ports come from a single estate or vineyard.

9. Pink Port: This is a relatively recent innovation, and it is a rosé-style port made from red grapes.

There are not of lot of secrets in the nomenclature of port wine; red port is produced from red grape varieties whilst white port is produced from white wine grape varieties. Production methodology remains relatively consistent across both types. 

In Portuguese, Colheita means harvest, or colloquially, vintage. Therefore, Colheita Port is produced from a single vintage – all the grapes are from one harvest. Occasionally Colheita part labels will state “Port of the Vintage” which should not be confused with Vintage Port.