Wine Enthusiast Magazine
SubscribeAs a follow up to my ambitious post yesterday, in which I invited users to submit alternative names for domestic port, I have this to add: the person submitting the name judged best will win a pair of Riedel Vinum port glasses, courtesy of Wine Enthusiast. He or she will also have a fleeting moment of fame, and the admiration of all.
The idea is to help U.S. wineries that are just beginning to make or sell what’s been known as port, to find a new generic name for these wines, since the U.S. and the European Union made a deal. The deal gets the E.U. to begin recognizing U.S. wine appellations, but American wineries have to give up terms like California Port, Washington Port, etc.
Domestic wineries that already have been marketing port will be grandfathered in, and can continue using the term. Fine for them, but since this is a type of wine that seems to be growing in popularity, and being made in many parts of the country by new wineries, they deserve a good new name to use.
The ideal term will be something that evokes the enjoyment of port — relaxing after a meal, enjoying the fireplace on a wintry night, complementing chocolate and cigars — but also is concise and not already someone’s trademark.
All suggestions welcome.
Filed under: Industry Issues
52 Comments
52 Responses to “Win Fame and a Pair of Riedel Glasses”
Please Wait
October 18th, 2007 at 11:12:30 AM
How about something simple and dignified and not too clever: Fortified Red Wine.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:41:21 AM
I was think about this not a while back, wondering why I can’t produce a American champagne, yet I can produce an American port. I was drinking an “earthy” Australian port at the time and I couldn’t get the name “Piento” out of my head. I think it might have to do with the Shiraz/Syrah confusion.
So my choice for a non-Portuguese port would be Piento
October 18th, 2007 at 12:07:55 PM
Ambrosia is a great name. It’s pleasant to say and hear. It means “food (nectar) of the gods” and also means delicious to taste and smell. appropriate!
October 18th, 2007 at 12:20:10 PM
I’m a great believer in simplicity. How about just calling it “Porto”? Easy to remember, close enough to recognize, and it’s actually a word unto itself, so no one can lay claim to it. Portugese Port, California…Porto!
October 18th, 2007 at 12:52:40 PM
Make it simple “TROP” which is PORT spelled backwards.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:12:15 PM
I suggest something simple and indicating its location of production–”Portusa”–a port from the USA.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:01:48 PM
Joanne, you beat me to it. Trop would be my choice.You might even go fancy and French it up, like Tróp or Trôp. I’ll have a drop of Trop, please.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:59:52 PM
I was thinking something like “sola”, which is the latin root for all things comforting: solace, console, consolation, etc. It rolls easily off the tongue, “A nice bottle of sola.” It sounds similar to “sol” as well, and all those lovely allusions to the sun; the way it feels in your throat as you’re imbibing some on a chilly night, dreaming of some sun, being consoled by your nice glass of Sola… Hope I sold that enough :)
October 18th, 2007 at 9:25:48 PM
How about the opposite of port — starboard.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:22:19 PM
This is fantastic. You guys should all be in wine marketing. You’re liberal arts majors, right? Unfortunately, “Starboard” is taken by the Quady winery, which had the same inspiration as C. Knight, except several years ago. I love the cynical nature of the “Oporto” recommendation by Chris Cook. “Trop”? I’m not sure. Maybe Chateau Troplong Mondot is litigious. Keep ‘em coming.
October 19th, 2007 at 6:10:56 PM
Call it like it is:
Fat Wine
October 20th, 2007 at 2:02:46 PM
For PORT not from Portugal, mathematically would leave “UGAL”. Not sure how catchy Ugal would be, but everyone would know where the term came from.
October 22nd, 2007 at 2:51:07 PM
Well, since port is fortified with distilled spirits or aguardiente, how about calling it Aguardo (ah-GWAR-do)? Sounds latiny, and it will say “fortified wine” to the EU customers to whom it can’t be sold as “Port.”
October 22nd, 2007 at 3:24:45 PM
Any of these?
- Ensemble
- Funto
- Vinport
- Aport
- Oport
- Dulport
- Volo
- Opto
October 22nd, 2007 at 5:27:25 PM
I have a vague recollection back from when I researched this, that “Porto” and some similar variations were also off limits…
We made our first vintage of Port-style wine in 2004, and we call it “Pour’t”. Unfortunately, we consider that a trademark of Twisted Oak Winery, so you can’t use that either… I blogged about the Pour’t on May 30, 06 and again on Oct 17.
If I had thought of “Ugal” at the time, however, I might have gone with that! I also like Trop – or maybe Prot? Or how about an acronym like “FWAP”: Fortified Wine Approximating Port? Let’s do it!
October 22nd, 2007 at 5:45:27 PM
how about “fort”…….rhymes with port and indicates it is a fortified wine
October 22nd, 2007 at 5:57:12 PM
OK Steve, I’ll bite :)
TroVinho
Dourolicious
Fleur de Rouge
Dolce Rouge
ViseuVino
Soul de Rouge
Sol de Rouge
Ocorto
Of course, if you blended in a bit of grenache, one might consider ………. Banyuls to the Bone …….
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:21:10 PM
How about “Amera”, it has a nice ring and like Port, associates/places it with America.
Thanks!
October 23rd, 2007 at 12:24:23 AM
Citadel
Sounds nice and in definition is “any strongly fortified place”. Perfect for a “fortified wine”.
October 23rd, 2007 at 12:27:39 AM
Carnais – is the Portuguese word for “kindred”. I think it rolls off the tongue much like the wine in question does and would show a little respect and deference to the origins of Port.
October 23rd, 2007 at 1:26:28 AM
Any love for Forto, the best of Porto and Forte? Or how about Sondre? Perhaps lending a smooth name with a melodic hint to a great set of wines?
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:30:59 AM
It has been fun reading all of the entries. I wanted to say that I like the Ambrosia…. it sounds wonderful to order “I’d like a glass of the California Ambrosia” plus its meaning is great. It’s simple enough but the wine snobs will love it too. Just my 2 cents.
October 23rd, 2007 at 1:05:48 PM
There is a lot of heritage and awareness invested in “Port” to totally walk away from the core word. Could be too expensive and take too long to establish a brand new name in people’s awareness that X (a new name)=Port.
I’d recommend PortUS as the new name.
Borrows from the original “Port” word but simply expands the word with a sylable that communicates the U.S. geography. The capital US is important and distinctive.
October 23rd, 2007 at 2:39:51 PM
with Eric’s comment in mind about keeping with “port”
Ameriport
October 25th, 2007 at 11:41:19 AM
I’d go for the alternative “RUBY” which is anyhow the correct colour of a good ‘PORT’. The name RUBY is short, easy to memorise and the consumer should quickly adjust to the new name.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:48:04 AM
From Calipygious. Assuming most production is from California (which is not necessarily a valid assumption) the Cali is obvious… see also all comments about geographic relevance.Calipygious is one of those words that means big, full, round bottomed. Juicy. Fat. Shaped like a Port Pipe (glass.) Calypso is also: Mythology: a nymph who beguiled Odysseus for seven years. So there are beguiling hints – or mysteries associated with the name. The O ending, of course, echoes Porto or Oporto. So essentially, this could be a big-assed wine from Cali-forn-i-o. Of course, one could cut to the chase and go for Caliporto. But again, this presumes location too much.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:52:32 AM
Author of Calipygio…btw: this is a Name that wine contest, and it was only after I submitted the name that I realized you wanted “my” name.
October 25th, 2007 at 12:36:25 PM
Young and old we all like the same things
October 25th, 2007 at 12:45:43 PM
Ok, without feeling the need to describe why…………….
RICA (ame rica)
how nice………
October 25th, 2007 at 12:53:39 PM
Taking a historical look at this, it is interesting to note that Portugal refused to provide the financial backing to the discovery voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Instead, Columbus sought backing from both the Spanish and the English. By the time the English stepped forward, it was too late; Queen Isabella of Spain had changed her mind and given a yes to the voyage.
Land was actually sighted from the fastest of his ships, the Pinta (meaning “The Painted), which was the common name of the ship. (The true name of the ship has been lost to history.)
Let’s use a touch of irony in this situation and call all American-made ports…Pinta!
This name does not limit itself to any particular geographic location, but in fact could encompass all ports made outside the EU, reflecting the voyages of discovery made by Columbus.
October 25th, 2007 at 1:40:18 PM
How about “CLIPPER”
October 25th, 2007 at 2:08:23 PM
CALLIPYGIAN
Having well-shaped buttocks.
This is a word about which it would be possible to generate many bad puns, thereby making an ass of oneself and becoming the butt of jokes. The subject matter — and the rather beautiful form of the word itself — has lent itself to adoption by word-hungry authors, even though the first recorded use was only in 1880. Thomas Pynchon wrote in Gravity’s Rainbow: “Those dusky Afro-Scandinavian buttocks, which combine the callipygian rondure observed among the races of the Dark Continent with the taut and noble musculature of sturdy Olaf, our blond Northern cousin”. Its origin is in Greek kallipugos, used to describe a famous statue of Aphrodite; that comes from kallos, beauty (as in calligraphy, or callisthenics, or the lily called hemerocallis) plus puge, buttocks.
This also works in reference to sitting back (on one’s buttocks) in one’s easy chair with a pipe o’ Port and a fine cigar.
October 25th, 2007 at 2:24:55 PM
I have two suggestions:
Calporto
Duoro, which is the river in Portugal along which the grapes for Port are grown
October 25th, 2007 at 2:32:09 PM
How about Amport or Domporto
October 25th, 2007 at 2:46:54 PM
I was thinking of the word Portage since it is a port wine but is also aged.
October 25th, 2007 at 2:59:04 PM
Dulcet seems to fit, sweet, soothing and agreeable.
October 25th, 2007 at 4:05:47 PM
Beaulieu has a wine called Dulcet. Don’t know if it’s trademarked.
October 25th, 2007 at 4:36:24 PM
Oh, ….. I wonder if one could add red, ruby, tawny, sweet etc. in front of dulcet. I guess that would depend on a possible trademark.
October 25th, 2007 at 6:06:31 PM
One could always go simple with Newport… as in New World Port.
October 25th, 2007 at 6:32:24 PM
I am not an expert in international trademark law (or much else for that matter) but I think that any word that has the letters PORT in that order in it will likely not be acceptable to the European Union. I believe the best new term should somehow evoke the character of a port-style wine without making people think of Portugal or the city of Oporto.
October 25th, 2007 at 7:59:03 PM
Newport as in the cigarette….. I think Jim may be on the right track.
October 25th, 2007 at 8:55:15 PM
How about Vermelho…which means “red” in Portuguese?
Or Conforto which means “comfort”?
October 25th, 2007 at 8:58:48 PM
Porto Novo? Port New
October 26th, 2007 at 7:37:52 AM
My vote is for Apo’s. it’s short, easy to say and is Portugese for after, as in after dinner drink.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:32:02 PM
Mais Tarde meaning afterwards in Portugese
October 26th, 2007 at 11:55:18 PM
Some defining of the problem: If this is domestic product, then using any Portuguese word would be misleading and probably be nixed by Portugal which has a proprietary interest in keeping the (admittedly English) name Port sacred, right?
So the trick is to come up with a name that, like Meritage, is wholly made up… but sounds as if it has Portuguese heritage. The Port name is like Claret — an English term to define a French wine blend.
Could use one of the names of Portuguese kings — like Alfonso or Henriques… but they depend too much on knowing Portuguese history.
Of course, another option is to take a Portuguese musical term… like Fado… and apply it to wine.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:28:50 AM
I always relate Port with our long family tradition of gathering for Christmas Eve with a glass of Port and Stilton Cheese. You can’t have that strong cheese without that rich port.
It would not be Christmas Eve without it.
I recommend CELEPORT OR CELEPORTUS
People also celebrate for other reasons with Port.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:49:35 PM
I’vde always liked Fortia. It suggests port and fortified, and a few top Port producers I’ve mentioned it too liked it too.
Unfortunaterly, I think it’s someone’s brand name, but there’s always the chance to buy it.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:13:27 PM
Evening Jim. I love the mag (WE) and my regards to Steve H and especially his 2 scents….tastes…and swirls. Well, not 2. Probably closer to 2002 if we read the initials on the buyer’s guide…blah…blah…blah.
I thought an American port might do well by the name of Poured. Settled in for the eve, right? But poured sounds a bit generic, so I would change that to Pord. That’s too close to Port. Maybe we should add an A. Makes it feminine and sound a bit exotic…familiarity breeds comtempt non. Porda it is!
I had this great Porda after my steak tar-tar and a cigar. Well sorda. I oughta tellya…this naming business requires a real thoughtful fella!
November 4th, 2007 at 5:08:38 PM
let’s get away from calling it ca anything because there are wineries in every state in the us. how about Proto, a variation on the word port so people will pick up on the use of a similar words just the letters mixed around. most people wouldn’t notice it’s not port…sort of subliminal.
November 7th, 2007 at 12:41:48 AM
Shifting one letter south, PORT becomes POST… as in post prandial drink… as in Port.
November 7th, 2007 at 7:19:19 PM
Is there any merit to blending Meritage into POrt and winding up with Portage or Reportage?