A sweet, fortified wine, first produced in the upper Douro valley, N Portugal. Grapes have been grown on the steeply-terraced hillsides since the 17th-c. The wine used to be transported down the fast-flowing river to Oporto (hence the name), but is today taken by road. Vintage port is unblended. All port is aged in pipes (115-gallon wooden barrels).
The terms "port" and "seaport" are used for ports that handle ocean-going vessels, and "river port" is used for facilities that handle river traffic. Sometimes a port on a lake or river also has access to the ocean, and is then referred to as an "inland port". A "fishing port" is a type of port or harbor facility particularly suitable for landing and distributing fish. A "dry port" is a term sometimes used to describe a yard used to place containers or conventional bulk cargo, usually connected to a seaport by rail or road.
The presence of deep water in channels or berths, the provision of protection from the wind, waves and storm surges and access to intermodal transportation such as trains or trucks are critical to the functioning of seaports and river ports. Cargo often arrives by train and truck to be consolidated at a port and loaded onto a large container ship for international transport.
Ports and shipping containers are a vital part of modern Just in Time inventory management strategies.
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