There are two designations of origin in the Douro Demarcated Region: Port and Douro.
In an increasingly global world, we are constantly faced with a multiplicity of descriptions that appeal to all our senses. For our product to stand out, we need to underscore that which makes it unique, laden with symbolism, an emblem of prestige, an identity that is immediately recognized by consumers who set great store by references of value. The Port designation of origin, Port’s identity card, fulfils this desire. The name Port is a symbol of history and tradition and of a region that is transforming itself in unison with modernity.
The Port designation of origin guarantees the distinctive and unique nature of the product and its origin. Its distinctiveness attests to the fact that the product is intimately linked to the territory, whereas its uniqueness is an expression of the specific characteristics of the product, the quality for which it is famous.
This uniqueness and distinctiveness of Port makes it a unique product irretrievably linked to a geographic location.
This inimitable, geographically bound, uniqueness conveys the exclusivity of the designation of origin. It is an identity that does not mean that all the products bearing the designation of origin are equal – what is in question is their identity per se, that is, a characteristic identity, regardless of inevitable and unavoidable differences between them. There is extensive diversity in the Douro Demarcated Region and there is an enormous variety of wines entitled to a Port or Douro designation of origin.
The distinctive and unique nature of the product, mirrored in a guarantee of quality, reflect the image of the territory. It is the association between Man, his know-how, his cultural heritage and Nature, a complex relationship that creates a product with typical and unique characteristics.
The Port designation of origin is a symbol that stands out as the main indicator of the characteristics of a product; it is an instrument that provides information regarding the origin and the characteristics that are associated with a particular community.
Although the unique and distinctive nature of a product help it achieve a privileged position in the market, allowing it to aim for a different price from that of its competitors, the designation of origin’s suggestiveness and power of attraction require constant advertising and promotion. Here, too, the relationship within the same product between a brand and the designation of origin is equally important: symbols with different but interconnected roles in relaying distinctive information to the market.
