D3 - Portugal Flashcards
Examines the regions, grapes, method of production, and styles of Portugal.
In which regions are schist and granite commonly found in Portugal?
- Vinho Verde;
- Douro;
- Dão;
- Alentejo (hilly outcrops).
Which regions in Portugal have more varied soils (clay, limestone, and sandy)?
- Bairrada;
- Lisboa;
- Tejo;
- Península de Setúbal.
These are wine regions further south and near the coast.
In Portugal, a great number of high-producing vineyards on the most fertile alluvial soils have been grubbed up since it joined the European Union in 1986 (particularly in Tejo and Vinho Verde).
What has been the focus of replanting?
Higher quality sites and planting material - it’s also been restricted to avoid surpluses.
Why has Alentejo seen significant investment and vineyard growth recently?
- Proximity to Lisbon (set up for tourism);
- Warm, sunny and dry climate;
- Flat topography allowing for mechanization;
- It has a high number of estates with large, relatively young, vineyard holdings.
What two areas in Portugal are seeing the most notable climate change?
- In continental, inland regions such as the Douro, Dão and Alentejo;
- In coast regions where wetter weather can increase the risk of poor fruit set and, later in the season, fungal disease.
The majority of old bush vines in Portugal can be found in which areas?
- Douro;
- Alentejo;
- Dão and Bairrada to lesser extents.
How are the majority of vineyards trained in Portugal?
Pruned and trained to either cordon or replacement-cane, and VSP trellised.
Many of these newer vineyards are planted to one or two varieties, not a mixed ‘field blend’ the way old bush vine vineyards were planted.
How is irrigation applied in Portugal?
It is only to be used where lack of water could jeopardize quality; it cannot be used for boosting yields.
Most areas in Portugal now require irrigation in order to produce healthy grapes.
Most Portuguese wines are blends, but there are a few notable grapes commonly bottled as single varieties.
What are they?
- Baga in Bairrada;
- Encruzado in Dão;
- Alvarinho in the Monção e Melgaço sub-region of Vinho Verde.
What are the most planted red and white grape varieties in Portugal?
Red: Tinta Roriz/Aragonez (Tempranillo).
White: Maria Gomes/Fernão Pires.
What five kinds of oak are used in Portugal?
- French;
- Italian;
- Austrian;
- Portuguese oak and chestnut;
- Brazilian hardwood toneis (traditionally 3,000-6,000L, found mostly in Bairrada).
Rising in popularity across Portugal is wines fermenting on the skins in clay amphorae, and there is a DOC in Alentejo that covers wines made only in this way.
What is the name of the DOC?
Vinho de Talha DOC (talha is the word for clay amphora).
PDO status wines in Portugal use _____.
How many are there?
DOP/DOC – there are 31 in Portugal.
PGI status wines in Portugal use _____.
How many are there?
Vinho Regional (VR) – there are 14 in Portugal.
VRs allow a wider selection of grape varieties, including international varieties.
The word “Vinho” on a label of Portuguese wine means _____.
The wine is not of PDO or PGI status.
What is the biggest wine company in Portugal?
Sogrape – it’s a negociant that has acquired vineyards in a move to diversify, increase quality, and compete in non-traditional export markets.
What are the physical boundaries of Vinho Verde?
- Atlantic Ocean to the west;
- Minho River to the north;
- Mountains of Peneda-Gerês National Park to the east.
What is the Vinho Regional (VR, or IGP) of Vinho Verde?
Minho.
Vinho Verde:
- What is the climate?
- What is the average annual rainfall?
- What is the general soil type?
- Moderate maritime climate that turns continental in the east;
- 1500mm/year;
- Granitic bedrock with a shallow topsoil of decomposed granite with a sandy texture that’s naturally low in fertility.
Because rain falls in Vinho Verde throughout the year, what problems does that pose?
Fungal disease pressure (rot and mildew).
How are modern vineyards planted in Vinho Verde?
Single or double Guyot (replacement-cane) with VSP, or lyre system.
All are trained relatively high from the ground to increase air circulation and reduce the chance of rot.
Name 3 techniques used in Vinho Verde vineyards to help reduce fungal disease pressure, improve air circulation, and enhance fruit ripening.
- Removal of lateral shoots;
- Leaf removal;
- Green harvesting.
What are the 5 white grape varieties of Vinho Verde?
- Loureiro;
- Alvarinho;
- Pedernã;
- Avesso;
- Trajadura.
What is the most planted red grape variety in Vinho Verde?
Vinhão
(aka Sousão in the Douro and Sousón in Galicia)
Describe the inexpensive, high-volume white Vinho Verde wine.
- Usually a blend;
- Spritzy from CO2 being added;
- Low in alcohol;
- M+ to H acidity;
- Apple, citrus, peach notes;
- Some may have RS;
- Typically made by one of the region’s co-ops or wine merchants.
- Vinho Verde wines that do not mention a subregion have a minimum abv of ___%.
- Vinho Verde wines that do mention a subregion have a minimum abv of ___%.
- Single variety Alvarinho from Monção e Melgaço must have a minimum abv of ___%.
- 8% abv;
- 9% abv;
- 11.5% abv.
In Vinho Verde subregions outside of Monção e Melgaço, if a producer wants to label their Alvarinho as a single variety what appellation must it take?
Minho VR.
Select the correct answer.
In Vinho Verde, on average every grower owns:
a. Less than one hectare
b. About 10 hectares
c. About 100 hectares
a. Less than one hectare
Land ownership in Vinho Verde is very fragmented – only ~400 growers bottle their own wines out of the 17,250 grape growers.
Name an important producer from Vinho Verde.
- Anselmo Mendes
- Quinta de Soalheiro
In what year was the Douro DOC established?
1982
What was the first still red wine to come out of the Douro?
Barca Velha.
First vintage 1952.
How was the modern generation of unfortified Douro wines kickstarted?
- Portugal joined the EU in 1986 which increased investment in modern winemaking equipment;
- Some Douro estate owners won a court case allowing wines to be directly exported from estates (rather than being exported from Vila Nova de Gaia).
What are the three regions of the Douro?
- Douro Superior (Upper Douro) in the east;
- Cima Corgo in the middle;
- Baixo Corgo in the west.
The Douro is protected from damp Atlantic weather by the _______ in the far western portion of the region.
Serra do Marão
What is the overall climate of the Douro?
Warm continental.
Go through the three Douro subregions and their rainfall and how hot/warm/cool they are.
- Douro Superior – hot and arid, 450mm rain/year;
- Cima Corgo – warm and dry, 700mm rain/year;
- Baixo Corgo – coolest and wettest, 900mm rain/year.
What is the general soil of the Douro?
Schist with a shallow topsoil made up of decomposed schist (low in organic matter); the schist splits vertically which allows vine roots to break through easily to search for water.
Select the correct answer.
Red Douro wines are typically:
a. Single variety wines
b. Blends
b. Blends made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão
What are the four white grape varieties grown in the Douro?
Where do they tend to be grown?
- Viosinho;
- Rabigato;
- Gouveio;
- Moscatel Galego Branco (often used to enhance aroma intensity).
Tend to be grown at the highest altitudes to take advantage of the diurnal range.
Why is blending such an important aspect in Douro wines?
The wines are typically made from a range of sites and varieties to create a balanced wine.
Aspect, elevation, and distance from the coast can all influence site climate with north facing aspects, higher altitude sites and vineyards to the west of the region all giving cooler conditions which can be advantageous in hot years.
Name an important Douro producer that makes still wine.
- Prats & Symington;
- Niepoort.