Class 6 - Wines of Portugal and Southern Italy Flashcards
What is Portugal famous for in terms of wine?
Sweet wines
Portugal is renowned for its production of sweet wines, particularly Port.
What are wine legs?
Droplets of wine that form on the inside of a wine glass
Wine legs are an example of the Gibbs-Marangoni Effect, resulting from fluid surface tension caused by evaporation.
What phenomenon causes wine legs to form?
Gibbs-Marangoni Effect
This effect occurs due to fluid surface tension changes caused by evaporation during wine swirling.
What factors affect the rate at which wine legs form?
Temperature and humidity
The environment greatly influences the evaporation rate, impacting the formation of wine legs.
What is fortified wine?
Wine to which distilled spirits are added during or after fermentation
Adding spirits before fermentation would kill the yeast.
What are pot stills used for?
Distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy
Pot stills conduct batch distillation by applying heat directly to the wash or wine.
At what temperature does alcohol boil at sea level?
78 °C (172 °F)
This is lower than the boiling point of water, which is 100 °C (212 °F).
What is the strength of low wines produced in pot still distillation?
About 25-35% alcohol by volume
Low wines are the initial distillation product before further distillation.
How many DOCs (Denominação de Origem Controlada) are there in Portugal?
31
Technically, there are 31 DOCs, but 3 of them overlap, making it seem like there are 28.
What does Vinho Regional (or IGP) signify?
Less strict rules for grape types and yields
This classification allows for more creative wine production compared to DOC.
What are the main styles of Port wine?
Ruby, Tawny, White, Rosé
Ruby Port includes Vintage and LBV, while Tawny is barrel-aged for oxidative flavors.
What is Madeira wine known for?
Nutty flavors and a range from dry to fully sweet
Madeira is produced on a tropical island and is similar to Sherry.
What is Vinho Verde?
Light, tart, affordable, fizzy wines
They are called “verde” because they are picked underripe and can be pink, white, or red.
What grape is Vinho Verde made from in Portugal?
Alvarinho
This grape is known as Albarino in Spain’s Galicia region.
What is the significance of Porto in relation to Port wine?
It is the city at the mouth of the Douro river where Port is produced
Porto became a protected area in 1756, making it the oldest wine appellation.
What happens to the yeast when distilled spirits are added during fermentation?
The yeast is killed, leaving residual sugar
This results in high alcohol and sweet wines.
What types of wines are produced in the Alentejo region? (Portugal)
Riper, stronger wines, typically dry reds
These wines are labeled by grape variety.
How long can a Ruby-style Port stay fresh once opened?
About 2 weeks
It can last a month if preserved properly in the fridge.
What is the basic classification of Portuguese table wine?
Vinho
This is the most basic category and is typically not seen outside of Portugal.
What grape varieties are commonly used in Port wine?
Tinta and Touriga varieties
These are native to Portugal and are often blended.
What is Porto known for?
Porto is known as the oldest protected area for wine, established in 1756.
What are the two major types of Ports?
Barrel aged and bottle aged.
What is Tawny Port made from?
Tawny Ports are made from red grapes and aged in wood barrels.
What does aging in barrels do to Tawny Port?
It exposes the wine to slow oxidation and evaporation.
What are traditional aging times for Tawny Ports?
10, 20, 30, or 40 years.
What is a Colheita?
A tawny port from a single vintage, aged for 10-20 years.
What is Garrafiera?
Vintage dated tawny port that spends years in wood barrels and then in glass demijohns.
How is Ruby Port aged?
Ruby Port is aged in concrete or steel after fermentation with no oxidation.
What is the aging characteristic of Vintage Port?
Vintage Port is barrel aged for 2½ years and then bottle aged for many years.
What percentage of Port production does Vintage Port represent?
About 2%.
What is Late Bottled Vintage Port?
Vintage Port left in the barrel longer than expected due to lack of demand.
Where does the name Sherry come from?
The town of Jerez in Spain.
What is Sherry made from?
Sherry is made from white grapes.
What is the alcohol content range for Fino and Manzanilla Sherries?
15% range.
What is the difference between Fino and Manzanilla?
Manzanilla is a specific style of Fino from a specialized region.
What is Oloroso Sherry known for?
Oloroso is a very aged and dark sherry with higher alcohol content.
What is Cream Sherry?
A sweet style of Sherry made by blending Oloroso with Pedro Ximenez.
How is Sherry produced?
Wine is fermented to dryness and aged in large oak barrels that are only ¾ full.
What is a Solera system?
A rack of wine barrels where wine is aged and moved down from top to bottom.
What is Madeira?
A fortified wine from the Madeira Islands in Portugal.
What happens during the production of Madeira?
The wine is deliberately heated and oxidized.
What are the styles of Madeira based on grape sweetness?
Malvasia, Bual, Verdelho, and Sercial.
What is Sercial known for?
Sercial is the brightest and most crisp style of Madeira, often served as an aperitif.
What is the flavor profile of Verdelho Madeira?
Smoky, slightly concentrated, with notes of spice, smoke, and light caramel.
What is Boal or Bual Madeira?
A sweet Madeira that shows incredible complexity and aromatic lift.
Fill in the blank: Tawny Ports become _______ in color.
golden-brown.
True or False: Vintage Ports improve with age.
True.
Fill in the blank: The grape used for most Olorosos is _______.
Palomino.
What is the purpose of adding distilled spirits to Madeira?
To prevent spoiling during shipment.
What is a notable historical fact about Madeira wine?
It was the favorite wine of Thomas Jefferson.
What are the flavor notes associated with Verdelho Madeira?
Spice, smoke, and light caramel.
What is Boal or Bual Madeira known for?
Incredible complexity and aromatic lift.
What types of desserts pair well with Boal Madeira?
- Desserts incorporating nuts
- Figs
- Stewed fruit
- Caramel
- Chocolate
What are the aroma and taste characteristics of Boal Madeira?
Roasted coffee, salted caramel, bitter cacao, dates, and golden raisins.
What is Malmsey Madeira known for?
Richest and sweetest style of Madeira.
What foods can Malmsey Madeira be paired with?
- Rich chocolate desserts
- Ice cream
- Cheese
What is the aging requirement for Vintage Madeiras?
Aged at least 20 years.
What are the generic terms used to indicate sweetness in Tinta Negra Madeiras?
- Seco (dry)
- Meio seco (medium dry)
- Meio doce (medium sweet)
- Doce (sweet)
How long must Rainwater Madeira age before release?
At least three years.
What is the unique characteristic of Vin Doux Naturel (VDN)?
Made in a style similar to Port, where a base wine is finished with neutral grape brandy.
Name a Grenache-based Vin Doux Naturel.
Maury, Rasteau, or Banyuls.
What grape varietals are commonly used for Marsala production?
- Grillo
- Inzolia
- Catarratto
What are the three levels of sweetness in Marsala wine?
- Secco (maximum 40 g/l residual sugar)
- Semisecco (41-100 g/l)
- Sweet (over 100 g/l)
What color is Oro Marsala?
Golden.
What is the aging requirement for Superiore Riserva Marsala?
Aged at least four years.
Marsala wine was traditionally served as what?
An aperitif between the first and second courses.
What makes Marsala wine unique?
Use of Sicilian indigenous grapes and a complex winemaking process.
What is Mosto Cotto in the context of Marsala?
A cooked grape must that gives Amber Marsala its deep brown color.
What are the characteristics of Maury wines?
More Port-like with extended aging similar to Tawny Ports.
What is a method for producing sweet wines?
Fortifying during fermentation, harvesting late, or freezing grapes.
What is the significance of sugar in sweet wines?
It can cover flaws in low-end wines but not in medium to high-end wines.
Fill in the blank: Malmsey Madeira can live for ______ in some cases.
[decades or even centuries]
True or False: Blended Madeira wines are often lower quality and less expensive.
True.
What does the term ‘Special Reserve’ indicate in Madeira wine?
Aged 10-15 years and undergoes a higher quality winemaking process.
What is the primary factor that contributes to higher sugar levels in Late Harvest wines?
Higher sugar levels at harvest than yeast can ferment before killing themselves.
What is Ice Wine made from?
Frozen grapes
What process is used to produce Port wine?
Spirits added partway through fermentation
Which grape varieties are commonly used in Sauternes?
- Semillon
- Sauvignon blanc
- Muscadelle
What is the effect of Botrytis cinerea on grapes?
Dehydrates the grapes, resulting in very high sugar levels.
What type of flavors do Sauternes wines typically deliver?
- Apricot
- Peach
- Mango
What is Noble Rot?
A type of spore called Botrytis cinerea that rots fruits and vegetables.
Which wine from Hungary is made using a similar method to Sauternes?
Tokaji
What does the Pradikat system classify?
Levels of sweetness in German wines
Fill in the blank: Auslese is the first level in the German Pradikat system with a higher proportion of _______ affected grapes.
Botrytis
What is Vin Santo made from?
- Trebbiano
- Malvasia
Which grape variety is commonly associated with the sweet wine from Greece called Vinsanto?
Assyrtiko
What is the main characteristic of Gewürztraminer?
Highly floral wine with moderate alcohol
Which grape variety is known for its high natural acidity that helps cut the sweet taste?
Riesling
True or False: Ice Wine must be harvested and pressed while the grapes are still frozen.
True
What are the two reasons why true Ice Wine is rare and expensive?
- Occurs in bizarre years when a vineyard freezes
- Must be harvested and pressed while grapes are frozen
What type of wines are typically produced from the Rhine River Valley in Germany?
Mostly white wines
What does the term ‘Trockenbeerenauslese’ refer to in the Pradikat system?
Dry berry selection
What is the common flavor profile of sweet red wines from Italy?
- Raspberry
- Blueberry
- Yeasty undertones
Which grape variety is known for producing a refreshing bubbly wine in both dry and sweet styles?
Lambrusco
Fill in the blank: The majority of sweet red wines are made using _______ grapes.
Esoteric
What is the common sweetness level of Chenin Blanc in the US?
Sweeter style
What is the main characteristic of Müller-Thurgau?
Floral aromas with slightly lighter acidity
What are the ripeness categories of Pradikatswein in increasing order of sweetness?
Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese.
What characterizes dessert-style Rieslings?
Late harvest wines with golden hues, viscous textures, and flavors of honey and cream.
What is the alcohol content of dessert-style Rieslings?
About 7%.
What happens during the fermentation of dessert-style Rieslings?
Fermentation is long and slow, often halted by winter.
Where is it presumed that Riesling originated?
Somewhere in the valley of the Rhine.
What are the primary grape varieties used in White Vinho Verde?
Arinto, Azal, Trajadura, Loureiro, Alvarinho.
What type of wine is Rosado Vinho Verde?
Rosé wine.
What are the primary grape varieties used in Rosado Vinho Verde?
Alvarelhão, Amaral, Borraçal, Espadeiro, Padeiro.
What are the three segments of wine areas in Italy?
Northern Italy, Central Italy, Southern Italy.
What are the primary grape varieties in Campania?
White: Falanghina, Fiano, Greco; Red: Aglianico, Piedirosso.
What is Aglianico known for?
A full-bodied red wine with deep savory notes and high tannins.
What characterizes Falanghina wine?
Fuller-bodied white with peach, lemon, and pear flavors.
What is the primary grape variety in Puglia known as Zinfandel in the US?
Primitivo.
What are the main flavors of Negroamaro wine?
Plum and herbal notes of dried sage and oregano.
What is Salice Salentino made from?
Negroamaro grape.
What does the term ‘Primitivo’ mean in Italian?
Early ripening.
What are the primary grape varieties in Sicily?
White: Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia; Red: Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Frappato.
What are the characteristics of Nero d’Avola wine?
Bolder red with fruity flavors of plum and raspberry sauce.
What is Vermentino known for?
A dry, medium-bodied white wine with grapefruit and lime flavors.
What is Cannonau also known as?
Grenache.
What is the primary grape variety used for Marsala?
Inzolia, Grillo, Catarratto.
Fill in the blank: The best dessert-style Rieslings retain prominent _______ which balances the sweetness.
acidity.
True or False: Puglia is known for having one of Italy’s largest producing regions for wine.
True.
What is the significance of the ‘heel of the boot’ in relation to Italian wine?
Refers to Puglia, known for its diverse landscape and wine production.
What is Carignano also known as?
Carignan
Describe the flavor profile of Carignano.
Bursting with red berry fruit, balsamic and leather-like flavors with a smoother, supple low tannin finish.
What wine is recommended to find from Carignano?
Carignano del Sulcis
Where is most of the world’s Vermentino from?
Sardinia
What are the citrus flavors commonly found in Vermentino?
Lime and grapefruit
Which acid is abundant in Vermentino, similar to that found in green apples?
Malic acid
How does the body of Vermentino compare to other wines?
On the light side, more like Pinot blanc.
What are the two styles of Vermentino based on?
With and without Malolactic fermentation (ML)
What is the role of Oenococcus oeni in winemaking?
It feasts on malic acid and produces Diacetyl during Malolactic fermentation.
What flavor does Diacetyl contribute to wine?
Creamy and rich, like butter.
What sensation does Diacetyl provide on the tongue?
A richer oily sensation.
Which regions are typically associated with Vermentino?
Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France)
