21. Portugal Flashcards
1
Q
Wine Law?
Business high level
Most common varieties?
A
Portuguese Wine Laws
-
PDO wines = DOC / DOP
- 31 DOC’sl – own regs on grape growing/winemaking
- All wines must be officially tested and approved.
-
VR – Vinho Regional
- Term for PGI wines – 14 in Portugal
- Less stringent regs, most permit int var / wider selection grape var.
- Rest = Vinho
Portugal Var
North
T Nacional, T Roriz Aragones Tempranillo, Alfrocheiro, Jaen (Mencia) Baga,
South
Tricadeira Alicante Bouschet
Wine of Portugal – promotional body since 2010
Business
- Grape growing = 35% of agricultural output
- Unfortified still wine 85% of total wine prod
- Many small holdings ave size tiny (some garden size).
- Negociants and Co-ops played nb role in past shipping hi vols wine to colonies in Africa
- Industry changed
- CO-ops either closed or alos became growers
- Consolidation Sogrape – acquired Port brands; estates
- Now the biggest in PO, ann > sum of next 7 biggest prod
- Many growers became producers with onw estate (
- Co-ops have reduced – 73 remain
- Export > FR, Angola, DE, UK (FR, USA, UK largest sales by value)
- Domestic sales slowly increasing – compared to years of recession before
- Significant rise in tourism.
2
Q
Vinho Verde Climate?
VY management?
Varieties
Name of Region?
A
VR Minho
Northwest Portugal
- Atlantic to west, River Minho – to north
- Peneda Geres Nat Park mntns east.
- 9 sub regions
- VR called “Minho”, same boundary; less prod
Climate mod maritime (ocean, river valleys funnel Atlantic wind inland)
- More continental in the east
- Warmer sub regions Baiao, Moncao e Melgaco
- prod late ripe var Avesso
- and Alvarinho (which has more body , alc)
- Warmer sub regions Baiao, Moncao e Melgaco
- High Rain (1500mm ) through year
- Vintage variation high due to ripening/yield
Soils: granite bedrock + shallow topsoil decomposed granite, sandy texture.
- Good drainage, low fertility – fertilisers needed
Vineyard Mgt
- Fungal disease/rot/mildew
- some trad use of vines trained up trees
- Most modern vy single or double Guyot (replacement cane) + VSP or lyre
- Trained high off ground to increase air circ / red rot
- Summer pruning to remove lateral shoots, leaves, green harvesting of prod var to improve air circ in can
Varieties
- 1960 – 80% red
- 2019 – 81% white; 14% red, 5% rose
Loureiro (Loureira Rias Baixas)
- More to the coast, mid ripe, wine with m+ acid, citrus, pear, floral & herbal aromas
Alvarinho (Albarino Rias Baixas)
- Citrus, peach, tropical flav; m+body; m+/h acid
- Can be stated on label since 2016
Pederna (Arinto)
- Mid ripe, neutral wines, subtle citrus+ apple, hi acid
Avesso
- – late ripe, can fail to ripen unless warm dry – grown inland, south in Baiao (drier/warmer)
- l/m acid, cb f body, citrus, stone fruit
Blending partners
-
Trajadura (Treixadura Rias Baixas)
- Lo acid, apple, peach, usually blended with hi acid partners
Vinhao (Sousao - Douro; Souson - Galicia)
Most planted BLACK, deep colour wine, cherry fruit hi acid.
3
Q
Vinho Verde DOC WM / Business
A
Winemaking / Law
- Inexp, hi vol from across region / blends
- Protective meth, cool ferm, SS
- Most Vinho Verde bottled for early release, co2 often added for spitz
- Style: Lo alc, m/h acid apple, citrus, peach (deps onvar used); may have RS
- G – made by co-op
- Higher price- smaller boutique prod
- Growing no of single var, single sub-region wine
- Some prod use amb yeast, old oak ferm and/or mat, lees age few m – complexity + texture
- VG – mid price
Name of sub region on bottle> min alc 9% abv (as opposed to 8% for the others)
Single var Alvarinho of Moncao e Melgaco
- Lower max yields, min alc 11.5% abv
- Other sub-reg must declassify to Minho VR
- Alvarinho may be named with other var if min 30% Alvarinho in blend
Business
- Holdings tiny, grapes delivered to co-ops / merchants
- 2% vinify own
-
Exports
- 35% of prod (2019) > DE, US*, BR, FR
4
Q
DOC Douro Climate,
Var
Name of Region?
A
Duriense VR
- Along the Douro River
-
Climate warm continental overall but with maritime infl & microclimates from aspect/alt
- 3 regions Baixa Corgo cool, wet
- Cima Corgo adeq rain
- Baixa Superior - hot arid low rain
- West Serra do Marao mtn shields region from cool damp Atlantic weather
Soils – bedrock schist – fractures vertically allows vines to dig deep for water Topsoil stony, low in organic matter – boundary of vy = boundary of schist rock
- Irrigation allowed if threat of hydric stress – IVDP tb notififed
Black grape Varieties :
- Touriga Nacional**
- Touriga Franca**
- Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo)
- Tinta Barocca
- Tinta Cao
- Sousao – acid and freshness even in warm yrs
- Large no PO var allowed in addition.
- ** made into single var; but rarely found
- ** retain acid, give ripe not jammy black fruit
- **pop lead in blends
- Franca – m body, m alc, red+black fruit, some floral
- Nacional – deep col, h tann, black fruit, floral violet/rose/orange blossom
White grape varieties
- Traditional PO, native to Douro Valley
- Viosinho -f body, stone fruit, lacks acid
- Rabigato – hi acid, citrus, floral
- Gouveio (Godello) – m+ acid, citrus, stone fruit
- Moscatel Galego Branco (MBaPG) to enh aromas
- Whites grown at highest alts – diurnal range helps retain acidity
- Douro blends from across sites, some prod from single vy
Aim for ripe (not overripe) grapes – mix of sites (aspect/alt/west facing) and varieites makes easier to achieve given weather variance yoy.
5
Q
Douro Doc VY management (same as D5)
A
Vineyard Layout
- Steep slopes many with gradients of 30deg
Socalcos
- traditional, narrow terraces, supported by walls of dry rock (Unesco)
- planting density 6000 v/ha
- Not suitable for mech - only vines planted at lower density - tractor can access
Patamares
- terracess supported by steep earth ramp
- Small tractors can access on diagonal tracks -ramps take space
- cheaper to implement and maintain than socalcos
- erosion, weeds problematic
- density is low (3000 - 3500 v/ha)
-
Large and Wide patamares -
- support two rows, more efficient land use / uneven ripeness - ext row more sun
-
Narrow patamares- only one row, more modern,
- carved by newer, smaller bulldozers and precise construction
- tilted slightly toward slope and from 1 side of terrace to the other - improves water absorption + drainage, reduce erosion.
- uneven ripeness less of an issue
Vinha ao Alto - currently ltd use (but incr)
- vertical rows up the slopes
- water run off & erosion a problem
- least expensive - allows high density planting (5000 v/ha) and mechanisation IF it is not too steep.
Above 40deg slopes no mechanisation poss - so patamares will be used
Vineyard Management
- Cordon trained, spur pruned; or head trained & cane pruned
- VSP for even sun exp and ripening; mech.
- Summer pruning (leaf removal) for sun exp esp late ripening var.
- Rootstock - tolerant of drought
- 110R 1103P
- When VY is replanted key focus:
- vine density
- layouts that allow mechanistion
- selecting best planting material for the area (could mean diff var on same terrace)
- Yield: 55hl/ha - water, hazards, disease mean ave yield more likely 30hl/ha
Hazards
- late spring frost (highest alt)
- wet weather summer (flowering/frutset) - esp in Baixa Corgo
- DMD / BBR – mngd > can mgt; fungicide spray
- Fertilisers if nec to imp nutrient status of soil
- Herbicides control weeds that compete with vines for water and nutrients on the slopes of patamares
-
Cover crops esp on slopes of Vinha ao Alto slopes
- prev erosion, impr soil structure+ nutrition
- reduce presence of weeds.
Harvest
- Largely by hand due to topography
- increasingly diff to find labour
- usually- start Douro Superior (inland) and end in Baixa Corgo
- Takes several weeks:
- Various microclimates in the valley,
- different plantings,
prevalence of hand harvesting
6
Q
Describe WM in Douro
Business?
A
Winemaking / Wine styles
- Still R/W/P
Red – 70% sales
- Usually destemmed (hi tann in Douro var + prod do not risk green/unripe tannins
- Ferm SS, temp cont – low 24 – 28 C for cont of tann extraction
- Some prod
- use all/
- partial - blended later
- just at the start
- in lagares – infl depends on cap management and if lagare is temp controlled
- Benefit~ easier to monitor extract than closed SS tank
- Style Inexp Early drinking – pressed off skins when fer complete
- Style Premium Post ferm mac to extract/soften tann, mat in large oak (PO trad / FR barrique mod & pref)
- Larger vessels being used not to overpower fruit
Whites – ¼ sales
- Style Inexp fresh Douro white fer at cool temp SS, bottled for early cons.
- l/m aromas, m/m+ acid, G quality
- Style Premium – old vine fruit, ferm, mat in oak (new or old)
- Style pron int aromas, f body, texture. VG some OS
Rose – small vol – limited maceration on skins – simple for early drinking..
Business
Business
- Port ~ 60% prod / still 30% of total
- VR Duriense prod lower vol, is an option for prod who wish to use int var (CH, Riesling, Syrah)
- Large choice of prem wines – estate grown grapes, named after the quinta
- (many are well known Port prod e.g. Symington, Quinto do Noval, Niepoort)
- Top wines > selected vy parcels grown for still, not Port prod
- Inexp hi vol often from different quintas – made by co-ops
-
Beneficio control of Port grape
- grapes for still wines cheap - market determined.
Sales 2019
- Dom sales – 64% vol
- Exports to CA BR, UK
7
Q
Name the 5 dominant black grapes used to make DOC Douro
Describe the style
A
Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão and Touriga Franca
Deep colour, full body, intense black fruit, high tannin and toasty oak
8
Q
What is the most common soil type found in the Dão?
Name of Region?
A
- Inland from Bairrada
- VR Terras do Dao - not commonly used
Growing Env & Grape Growing
- surrounded by mntns, prot from cool maritime weather (w) and arid conditions from east/south.
- Climate** overall **Mediterranean, warm, dry summer, mild winter
- Rainfall hi (1600mm pa) aut and winter
- 95% of area is eucalyptus fores
- hills, valleys, mountain slopes give range of aspect/altitude.
- VY from 200 – 500m, most at 400 – 500m ~ mod influence & diurnal range
Soils - weathered granite with sand or loam
- free draining – constr vigour; BUT risk of water stree when ripening.
- Hail – summer; frost – spring esp flat low lying vy.
- most mod plantings double / single Guyot (replacement cane) or cordon trained, VSP trellis
- weather >> vintage variation
9
Q
Dao Varieties & WM?
Comment on Business ?
A
Red varieties (red wine 80% prod vol)
-
Touriga Nacional
- Deep col, hi tann, acid, black fruit, floral, herbal
-
Tinta Roriz
- early ripe, deep col, m/m+ tann, f body. single var for ageing or structure to blend
-
Jaen (Mencia in Spain)
- m acid, raspberry, blackberry fruit, single var > c. macer for fruity style> early cons
-
Alfrocheiro
- m tann, m body, strawberry, blackberry flav. single var – soft, fruity early cons also made into rose
-
Style: Dao reds less f body and intense than Douro reds; also fresher flav and higher acidity
- WM techniques modern are short(er) maceration, oak ageing, new oak typical, but small(er) prop
- G/OS mid – prem price some S-prem.
White Varieties
- Encruzado is key white var for hi Q wines
- m/m+ acid, f body, lemon, peach, sometimes floral. either ferm in neutral vess for fruit OR ferm and mat in oak, with lees ageing + stirring for texture
- Oak ferm wines age well in bottle > nutty char
- G/VG some OS. Mid – prem price
- Other white var for blends
- Malvasia Fina (Boal)
- Bical
- Cercial.
Business:
90%
10
Q
Tempranillo is given two names in Portugal; what are they?
A
Tinta Roriz, alternatively known as Aragonês in the Alentejo region
11
Q
Bairrada DOC Climate,
VY mgt,
Var?
Name of Region?
A
- Beira Atlantico VR
- Between Dao and the Atlantic Ocean
- Climate: mod maritime
- Rain hi Spring and autumn - risk for Baga (late ripe)
Growing Env & Grape Growing
- Soils fertile alluvial in west, limestone-clay slopes
- Cantanhede,warmer south, limestone-clay > intensive planting Baga VY
- VY traditionally high trained, staked, bush vines
- Modern trellised with Guyot (replacement cane pruned) and VSP
Grape Varieties (Baga dominant var)
- Red – 2/3rd prod
-
Baga - h acid, h tann, m body, cranberry, cherry, plum fruit
- Late ripe, (warm site*) & limit yields for ensuring full ripeness
- *Site> s-f, protect from cool n wind by eucalyptus / pine forest.
- Best on limestone clay – bal of water retention and drainage – > water through grow season.
- Cantanhede’s light colour soils (white limestone pebbles and rocks) reflect sun onto vines, aid ripening
- Green harvesting to enh ripening remaining bunches
-
White
- Arinto and Maria Gomes
12
Q
Describe winemaking in Bairrada (R & W)
A
Winemaking - RED
- Baga wine – mb astringent young, softer, more complex with bottle age
- used for Mateus Rose
- Recent improved techniques VY& Winery enable prod of vg and os wine
Winemaking
-
Destem or whole bunch press
- Whole bunch – fresh fruit & aromas
- Add stems into the ferment) –for structure for long ageing of wine
- Ferm – either SS or lagare or open concrete vat
- Maturation commonly large barrel 500 – 650L (FR oak) or foudres (FR / IT/ AT oak)
-
Blend
- T. Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen, Camarate; and some int var e.g. CS, MER well suited to maritime clim and soils that drain.
-
Bago Classico must contain
- 50% Bago,
- and 85% Baga, Alfrocheiro, T Nacional, Jaen and Camarate altogether
Winemaking - White
- Maria Gomes (Fernao Pires)
- early ripe, hi yields, citrus, flor aromas.
- Bical, - early ripe, peach, tropical fruit.
- MG and Bical hi acid if picked early, lose acid quickly if left on vine.
- Arinto, Cercial both apple, citrus, may be used to add acidity.
- Int Var allowed – SB, CH
-
Inexp wines sourced from the region areas with sandy soil
- ferm cool temps, SS, bottled early cons
- Mid price, prem sourced from areas with clay -limestone, may be ferm/mat for short time in oak.
- Quality G/VG
Vol under the DOC are reducing as growers object to inclusion of int var.
13
Q
What 2 white grapes are used in Bairrada region?
What is the most widely-used black grape?
A
Arinto and Maria Gomes
Baga
14
Q
The vineyards of the Douro DOP are famously composed of:
How are the vineyards planted in this area?
A
Schist soils.
On steep, terraced vineyards along the banks of the Douro and its tributaries.
15
Q
Alentejo DOC Climate,
VY Mgt?
Varieties WM
Region Name?
A
AltenteJANO VR
Extends over much of s-e PO, Spain to east, Algarve mntns south
- 8 non-contigous sub-regs var microclimates / soils
- Same land, Vinho de Talha DOC
- wines fermented on skins in “Talha” (amphora) – a trad prod method being reintro.
- VR Alentejano indicates grapes sourced outside the DOC
Growing Env & Grape Growing
- Med climate, hot dry summer, mild winter
- Inland – more ext temps
- Annual rain low/modaut and winter.
- Long periods of dry weather > drip irrig widely used
- (south drier,hotter)
- Portalegre - VY planted at 800m+, alt + north loc mean its cooler – wines fresher fruit, higher acid.
Soils granite, schist, limestones
VY trained and trellised to double cordon + VSP
Grape Varieties / Winemaking
-
Wide range of grapes often prod as a blend
- Single var wine exception
-
Black 75% of plantings
-
Aragonez/Tinta Roriz/Tempranillo
- Early ripe – becomes overripe if left, it does best cooler sites
-
Alicante Bouschet
- Red flesh – cont deep col, acid, tann, red & black berry fruit to belnd
-
Trincadeira
- Susc to rot, grows well in dry climate in Alentego
- Hi yields tb lim if grapes are to fully ripen- m tann, m acid, blackberry, spice.
-
Touriga Nacional
- Sometimes used in blend with one or more others, brings tann, acid
- Int var: Syrah most comm, CS waning, Petit Verdot – col, spice, tann is increasing
-
Aragonez/Tinta Roriz/Tempranillo
-
Styles
- Inexp, fruity, early cons
- Super-prem, conc fruit flav, spice from mat in new oak, structure to age for decade +
White
-
Roupeiro most planted
- Retains aid, susc to rot – mens suits warm dry Alentego.
- In youth, wines have flav or citurs and stone fruit, can lose prim flavours quickly with age.
- Arinto (Perderna in Vinho Verde) used in blends for acid
-
Antao Vaz tolerant of drought, made in range of styles incl darly picked fresh wines, or
- Later picked f body wines (often oak) trop fruits, Talha wines – evident skin cont infl.
- Can lack acid in warmest sub-regs unless picked early. Often blended with Roupeiro, Arinto for acid
- Others : CH; Viognier; Alvarinho
-
Styles
- Whites ferm in SS for fruity early cons
- Or barrels for texture, long ageing.
- G / VG, most inexp – mid price
