D5 Chapter 3 Port Flashcards
What region in Portugal is Port from?
Douro region
When did Port originate and Why?
17th century and because of trade wars between England and France
How did Port come about?
Red wines became popular in England and brandy added to stabilize the wines for transport to England
How did the practice of fortifying the wines during fermentation begin?
Two british merchants visited Abbot of Lamego and found sweet wines were higher quality than dry wines
What was traditional role of shippers in Port?
agents that took commission for shipping port abroad and acquired port from brokers in Douros and stored them in Lodges prior to shipment
What are lodges?
wine cellars/warehouses in Vila Nova de Gaia
What became the newer role of shippers?
Since become producers and are dominant players in production with own vineyards, wineries and bottling facilites
What was the Methuen Treaty?
Ensured that Portuguese wines received lower rates of duties in England than other countries
When was the Methuen Treaty signed?
1703
When Port reached early popularity, what happened?
Led to production of large amounts of poor quality port, leading to lower demand and oversupply, falling grape and wine prices
What 3 things happened in 1756 as a result of the oversupply and low demand of Port?
Prime Minister Pombal demarcated the Port vineyards and drew up production regulations and created the Real Companhia Velha from which all Ports had to be bought
What was the purpose of the “Companhia?”
sold all ports for export, fixed prices and exclusive right to supply spirit used in fortification
What happened as a result of the Pombals actions?
Although unpopular to some, the prices of Port began to rise again
What caused the challenges to the Port industry in the early 19th century?
Douro and wider Portugal experiences the Peninsular Wars and Portuguese Civil War. Also, mildew and Phylloxera later in the century.
What are quintas?
Estates
What two entities were created in the first half of the 20th century?
Instituto do Vinho do Porto (IVP) 1933 and the Casa do Douro (1932)
What was the role of the IVP?
responsible for the administration and supervision of the Port Industry
What was the role of the Casa do Douro?
to supervise the growers with the Port Demarcation
What is the beneficio?
Classification system in Douro where the vineyard parcels are rated from A through I based on suitability for production
What is aguardente?
the spirit added in fortification
Who controlled the purchase of the aguardente with with the producers fortified their wines?
The Casa Do Douro and the IVP
What is an influential development during the end of the 20th century?
early 1980s the World Bank Scheme offered low interest loans to Douro growers who could plant or replant up to 10 hectares of vineyards (A or B grade and only used the 5 prescribed varities)
What was a 2nd influential development in late 20th/early 21s century?
some of the major shippers joined with the local university to fund a vineyard research program
what are pantamares?
Wide terraces for vineyard plantings
What happened in 1986 that led to a rise in quality of the Aguardente and hence the overall Port?
Portugal entered the EU and producers were permitted to source and buy their own spirit on the open market
What controversial thing happened in 1990?
The Casa do Douro bought 40% of one of the largest shippers Royal Oporto, ultimately leading to bankrupcy of the Casa do Douro
What came about in 2003?
the Insituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro (IVDP) which supervised both Port and Douro dry wine producers
What other developments have been made in the Douro in the first decades of the 21st century?
Improved versions of Pantamares; other local varieties outside of the 5 prescribe varieties have been developed; depopulation in the vineyard areas bringing an end to foot treading
Where is Douro located?
Northern Portugal
What is the total area of appelation in the Douro?
43,000 planted hectares; of which 32,000 are DO Port
What is the climate of Douro?
warm continental climate
What influences makes the vineyard areas much warmer and drier than the cities of Porto and Vila Nova di Gaia?
distance from Atlantic Ocean, shelter from the Serra do Marao to the west of the region
What are the three sub regions of the vineyard areas in the Douro?
Baixo Corgo; Cima Corgo and Douro Superior
What does the vineyard area follow the path of?
The path of the River Douro
Describe the Baixo Corgo
most westerly of regions, coolest and wettest since most near cold Atlantic Coast, produces fruit for inexpensive Ruby and Tawny Ports
Describe the Cima Corgo
wamer and drier, most of the well known vineyards here, produces age-indicated Tawny Ports and Vintage Ports
Describe the Douro Superior
furthest from coast, hottest and driest, drought is an issue, sparsely planted, flatter land, allows mechanization, plantings are increasing
Why is there a range of microclimates in the Douro?
winding River Douro and its tributaries provide the microclimates with various altitudes and aspects
Describe the soils in the Douro
stony, shallow, free-draining and poor in nutrients
Why are vine roots able to penetrate deep in Douro?
the schist under the bedrock splits into vertical layers, rather than more typical horizontal
Is irrigation permitted in the Douro?
only in exceptional circumstances
Why does the demarcated Port region boundary mostly follow the outline of the schist?
Because the schist is so important to the viability of grapes in this region
Why are viable vineyard layouts limited in the Douro?
The slopes are so steep (over 30% gradient)
What are the three types of vineyard layouts in the Douro?
Socalcos, Patamares and Vinha ao Alto
What is the tradional vineyard layout in Douro?
Socalcos
Describe the Socalcos
narrow terraces supported by walls of dry rock. planting density 6,000 vines per hectare, not suitable for machines, therefore no longer planted much
Why can the socalcos not be converted to other layouts?
Protected by UNESCO
Describe the Patamares
terraces supported by a steep earth ramp rather than stone wall. small tractors can be used. cheaper to implement and maintain, erosion and weeds can be problem, planting density 3,000 to 3,500 vines per hectare
what are the two kinds of Patamares?
1) Large, wide patamares that support two rows of vines on each terrace, 2) Narrow patamares that only support one row of vines
What are the pros and cons of the large wide patamares?
makes efficient use of vineyard but uneven ripeness can be problem,
What are the pros of the narrow patamares?
more modern, since tilted slightly towards slope and from one side of terrace to other, improves water absorption and drainage and reduces erosion, uneven ripeness not really a problem.
Describe the Vinha ao Alto patamare
vines planted in vertical rows up the slope,
Pros and Cons of Vinha ao Alto patamare
least expensive to plant and maintain, allows for high density planting (5,000 vines per hectare) so efficient use of land; But machines can’t be used above 40% incline. water run off and erosion can be problems, use of this layout is pretty limited
How are vines trained in Douro and why?
Cordon-trained and spur-pruned or head-trained and cane-pruned, VSP trellised; to promote even sun exposure and ripening and allow for mechanization
In Douro, how do they ensure sun exposure for late ripening varities?
summer pruning/ leaf removal
What rootstocks are used in Douro?
those that are drought tolerant, 110R or 1103P
What are priorities in Douro when replanting?
Increasing vine density, vineyard layouts that allow mechanization and selecting the best plant material
What is max yield in Douro and what is likely?
Max is 55 hL/ha; but due to drought many years are closer to 30hL/ha
What are the viticultural hazards for the Douro?
Late spring frosts in high altitude vineyards, sometimes cool, wet weather from west in early summer disrupting flowering and fruit set; downy mildew and botrytis especially in Baixo Corgo
Fertilizers may be used for what?
to improve the poor nutrient status of the soil
Herbicides may be used for what?
to control weeds that grow on the slopes of the patamares and compete with vines for water and nutrients
Why are cover crops grown on Vinha ao alto slopes?
to prevent erosion, improve soil structure and nutrition, and reduce presence of weeds
Why type of harvesting is used commonly and why?
By hand as the vineyard topography is not suitable for machine harvesting
What is changing with labor in the Douro?
An aging regional population (depopulation) is happening and making it difficult for growers to find workers to pick
Who is the largest grower in the Douro region?
Symington Family Estates
How many grape varieties are permitted in Port?
Over 100
What are the five prescribed varieties since 1980s
Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cao
Who and why would growers be planting or growing outside the 5 prescribed?
some already have for centuries (field blend); some other varietals can make contributions for acid, colour and climate change
The vast majority of Ports are made from what? and why?
A blend of varities to reduce vintage variation
What can a field blend provide?
since there are different ripening times, the blend provides a different character to blocks of different varieties all picked at optimum ripeness and then blended
What are old vines called?
Vinha Velha
What is important about Vinha Velha?
a key part of the blend in premium and super premium port wines
Name the most important black varieties for Port
Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cao, Sousao
Describe Touriga Franca
late ripening; tight-bunched thick-skinned grapes, resistant to fungus; but vigorous; contributes color, tannin and acidity and juicy red and black fruits and floral aromas
What is the most popular varietal?
Touriga Franca
What is Tinta Roriz called in Spain?
Tempranillo
What is Tinta Roriz called elsewhere in Portugal
Aragonez
Describe Tinta Roriz
early ripening, best grown in cool sites or can suffer water stress; lends body and deep color; produces high yields, but if too high can lack concentration
Describe Tinta Barroca
early ripening, best in cool sites or prone to heat damage; flavors are more earthy as opposed to floral; lacks acidity if site not cool enough; color fades more quickly than touriga nacional and touriga franca; capable of high yields
Where are the best planted cool sites?
high altitude or north-facing slopes; generally Baixo Corgo and Cima Corgo