Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / Portugal's Wine Trade: Port and the Treaty of Methuen
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about the caravels, the spice routes, the forts in Africa and Asia—the grand, sweeping story of Portugal's empire. But empires need cash, and cash doesn't always come from conquest. Luna: Where else would it come from? Lucas: Sometimes it comes from something as humble as a vineyard. I'm talking about wine—specifically, port wine. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Portugal developed a product that became almost as valuable as Brazilian gold: a sweet, fortified red wine that the English couldn't get enough of. Luna: Wait, I've heard of port wine, but why was it such a big deal? Lucas: Well, to understand that, we have to look at the Douro Valley, in northern Portugal. It's a rugged, mountainous region where the soil is schist—crumbly, dark rock that vines love. Grapes had been grown there since Roman times, but it was really in the late 1600s that the wine trade took off. Luna: And why then? Lucas: Partly because of politics. England was at war with France—a series of conflicts, really—and their usual source of wine, Bordeaux, was cut off. So English merchants started looking to Portugal. They found a wine that was rough and tannic, but they discovered that adding a bit of brandy before fermentation stopped it early, leaving residual sugar. That made the wine sweet and stable for long sea voyages. Luna: So they basically invented a new type of wine. Lucas: Exactly. But it wasn't just a happy accident. The English merchants, many based in Porto, began to finance the production and shipping. They called it 'Vinho do Porto'—Port Wine. And it became a massive export. By the early 1700s, it was flowing into London by the shipload. Lucas: Then came the treaty that sealed the deal: the Treaty of Methuen, signed in 1703. Luna: That name sounds familiar. Wasn't that an alliance? Lucas: Yes, it's often called the Methuen Treaty, after John Methuen, the English ambassador to Portugal. It was two parts: one military, one commercial. The military part was about the War of the Spanish Succession—Portugal allied with England against France and Spain. But the commercial clause was huge: Portugal agreed to import English woolens, and in return, England agreed to tax Portuguese wines at a lower rate than French wines. Lucas: That preferential tariff basically guaranteed a market for port in England. French wines were taxed at about £55 per tun, while Portuguese wines were taxed at £7. No contest. Luna: Wow, that's a massive difference. So the English consumer could buy port for a fraction of the price of claret. Lucas: Exactly. And they did. Port became the drink of choice in English taverns and homes. But there was a problem: with such high demand, quality control went out the window. Some shippers were adding elderberry juice, sugar, even spices to cheapen the wine. The reputation of port started to suffer. Luna: So what did the Portuguese government do? Lucas: Enter the Marquês de Pombal. He was the prime minister under King José I, and he was a reformer. In 1756, he created the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro—a state-backed company that controlled the wine trade. More importantly, he ordered the first-ever demarcation of a wine region: the Douro Wine Region. Luna: So like a controlled appellation—centuries before France did it. Lucas: Yes. Pombal's surveyors mapped the best vineyards and banned inferior grapes. They set standards for production and aging. It was revolutionary. And it came just in time, because in 1755, Lisbon was devastated by a massive earthquake. The city was in ruins, and the economy was in shock. Luna: Wait, the earthquake was before the reforms? So how did wine help? Lucas: Well, port wine exports were one of the few things bringing in hard currency. The English still wanted their port, even as Lisbon crumbled. So the trade helped fund the rebuilding. Pombal's reforms also cracked down on fraud—he even executed a few shippers who were caught adulterating wine. Luna: Executed? That's serious. Lucas: Pombal didn't mess around. He saw the wine trade as vital to national interest. And his policies worked. By the late 1700s, port was a premium product, and the Douro Valley was the most regulated wine region in the world. Luna: I have to ask: was Port always red? I've seen white port too. Lucas: Good question. In the early days, most port was red, but white port was also made. The difference is the grape variety and the fermentation process. The iconic ruby and tawny styles developed later, as aging techniques improved. By the 19th century, port had become a global luxury, rivaling champagne. Lucas: And it all started with that rocky, sun-baked soil in the Douro. It's a story of how a small country turned a natural disadvantage—steep slopes, poor soil—into an economic advantage. The vines had to be planted on terraces carved into the hills, all by hand. It was back-breaking labor. Luna: I'd love to visit the Douro Valley one day. Lucas: It's beautiful. And when you see those terraced vineyards, you understand why port is so special. It's not just a drink; it's a piece of history. Lucas: Speaking of which, if you've been enjoying these deep dives into Portugal's past, let me say something quick. This show is ad-free and supported entirely by listeners. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing, but it makes a real difference. We're not asking for much—just if you've gotten something out of it. Lucas: Exactly. If you want to help, you can go to buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's all. And now, back to the wine. Luna: So did the Methuen Treaty last for a long time? Lucas: It was in effect until the 1830s, when trade liberalization ended the preferential tariffs. But by then, port's reputation was secure. The English taste for it had become a habit. Even today, the UK is the biggest market for port wine. Lucas: And the legacy of Pombal's demarcation lives on. The Douro Valley is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the regulations he introduced are the ancestor of modern appellation systems like France's AOC. Luna: It's amazing how much impact a bottle of wine can have on history. Lucas: Absolutely. From the Treaty of Methuen to the earthquake, from fraudsters to reformers, port wine is a thread that runs through Portugal's story. It's a reminder that empires aren't just built on gold and gunpowder—sometimes on a good vintage.