Portugal

While Portugal is becoming more and more known for its delicious and undervalued dry wines (some truly worth seeking out), it is undeniably most known for its incredible fortified wines. Whereas the island of Madeira can produce some of the most spine tingling and soul shifting bottles that a wine lover may ever experience, its Douro Valley on the mainland captivates with its suave, velvety and sappy Ports. Port derives its name from the city of Porto, the commercial centre of Port production which lies on the Atlantic Ocean in northern Portugal. The wine style originated in the 17th century and was created as a way to protect wine from spoilage from long ocean voyages to England. While the grapes are grown in the hot, steep and spectacular Douro Valley, most of its commercial structure has been based in the seaside towns of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, its twin city (production is divided between both here and the Valley). Multiple Port styles are produced; however, Vintage Port is generally considered its most noble and rare.