In northern Portugal, among the Douro mountains and along the upper reaches of the Douro river, grow the vines which give the world one of its most revered wines. Port, as an unfortified wine, would be remarkable only for its blackish colour and unpalatable taste. Its secret lies in fortification and blending. That the grapes which provide the base wine should contain the qualities which, after years of maturation, will become apparent in the wine, is nothing short of incredible.

In the upper Douro there is almost no soil: the heavy shistous surface which is a combination of compressed clay and granite, and the steep hillsides combine to form land which is most unfavourable to the grape. The climate, also, is extreme. In this region, close to the Spanish border and cut off from the influence of the Atlantic by mountains, summers are extremely hot with temperatures commonly exceeding 38°C (100°F). In winter, up to 127cm (50ins) of rain may fall, much of which would just run off the slopes were it not for the elaborate terracing which the Port growers have built. The terracing, which is being constantly extended into new areas and unplanted tributaries of the Douro, has enabled the formation of soil but, even so, it is sometimes necessary to use explosives to break the ground before planting.

From this extraordinary land come the Port grapes - 30 or 40 varieties of them - which are still trodden by teams of men in a cement trough called a lagar. Fermentation takes place in the growers farm, or quinta. The young, partially fermented wine is run into barrels which are quarter-filled with brandy. This stops the fermentation, strengthens the wine and preserves a considerable proportion of the natural sugar. No sweetening is ever added to Port. The wine is then taken down to Opporto where the shippers, many of whom have their own quintas, store the wine in oak barrels called pipes.

One of Australia’s best known fortified wines traces its genesis back to a barrel of fine fortified wine set aside by the Seppelt wine making family in the Barossa in 1878.  Patriarch Benno Seppelt decreed that this barrel, the finest of that vintage, should remain untouched for one hundred years.  In 1978 the family released the first of the precious Para Liqueurs.  In succeeding years, the family and subsequent corporate owners have continued the tradition, releasing limited bottles of Para Liqueur Vintage tawny wines on the 100th anniversary of their creation.

Wine critic Huon Hooke from the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper summed up Para’s importance to Australia’s wine community in a few succinct words: “Like the ’51 Grange, like a Streeton painting, a Melba recording, a Bradman bat, or a Lawson short story, it’s part of the Australian ethos.  A true icon.”

	All Saints The Keep Tawny 750ml All Saints The Keep Tawny is a tawny colour with a hint of red. The aroma is a mix of ripe berry fruit and rancio characters from extended barrel maturation. On the palate there is ripe fruit giving a generous mouth feel with hints of vanilla and chocolate.	QTY:

	Angoves Bookmark Tawny 750ml Angoves Bookmark Tawny is a blended from selected parcels of mature Port that have been aged in both small and large oak barrels. Bookmark reserve Tawny is a meduim weight style. It shows developed fruit and oak characters that are nicely underpinned by the use of the finest grape spirit.	QTY:

	Brown Brothers Australian Tawny 750ml Brown Brothers Australian Tawny will be great companion as the nights get colder it is time to dust off those port glasses - and indulge yourself in one of the best value ports available in Australia.	QTY:

	Buller Fine Old Port 750ml Buller Fine Old Tawny is blessed with a sunny climate, good soils and ample water, the Buller vineyards at Beverford, nestled within the Swan Hill winegrowing region, produce the richest, nut and citrus flavoured Old Tawny wines which can rival the finest in Victoria. A generously flavoured Old Port in the traditional style, Buller is endowed with sublime complexity. Sweet fruit and beautifully integrated oak combine to display all the developed characters of long term ageing. Along with the slow transformation in colour from bright ruby to deep tawny have arrived the most exquisite changes of flavour. Buller Fine Old Tawny is a deep mahogany/ tawny in colour. Bouquet of rich fruit cake with a touch of rancio. Complex rich spicy fruit flavours, hints of cherry syrup and sweet tobacco. Good palate length leading to a smooth finish with notes of rancio	QTY:

	Chambers Ruby Port 750ml Chambers Ruby is typically ruby to tawny in colour, this wine exhibits aromas of dried raisins and blackcurrants, briary, sweet spice and molasses. It is relatively light for a fortified wine, with flavours of warm Morello cherry and dark chocolate and mocha with a warm finish	QTY:

	Chateau Reynalla 16 Year Old Tawny 375ml Chateau Reynalla 16 Year Old Tawny is a magnificent tawny that has an average age of 16 years, and shows the complex, nutty rancio characters that only long years of barrel maturation can produce. A classic!	QTY:

	De Bortoli 8 Year Old Tawny 750ml De Bortoli 8 Year Old Tawny at an average age of 8 years, this wine is displaying a wonderful rich and vibrant palate with underlying developed complexity. A great value example of quality fortified wine.	QTY:

	Galway Pipe 750ml Galway Pipe has an average age of twelve years gives this iconic tawny luscious flavours of fruitcake and raisin, balanced nicely by nutty rancio characterics.	QTY:

	Grant Burge Age Tawny 750ml Grant Burge Age Tawny is made from a blend of Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz which have been matured under the Solero system using oak quarter casks. Complex, with a rich lengthy finish.	QTY:

	Hardys Tall Ships Tawny 750ml Hardys Tall Ships Tawny is a classic Tawny from Hardys. Smooth and rich.	QTY: