fortified wines: madeira, marsala, port Flashcards
What is mistelle?
grape must is fortified prior to fermentation (vin de liqueur)
Champagne, there is Ratafia; in Cognac, Pineau des Charentes; in Armagnac, Floc de Gascogne; in the Jura, Macvin du Jura.
When was the Duoro demarcated
1756
What is Royal Oporto
port shipper and the surviving remnant of the Companhia Geral dos Vinhos do Alto Douro est. 1756
What is “lei do terço”
“law of the third” a decree restricting sales of Port to one-third of a house’s total inventory annually.
What is beneficio authorization, given by the IVDP? (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto)
the maximum amount of wine that may be fortified in a given year—based on a matrix of twelve factors. Each factor has a minimum and maximum point score associated with it, and there are a total of 2,361 points available.
How to get an A grade in Port?
score over 1,200
How to get a B grade in Port
1,001 and 1,200 points,
What is the lowest grade possible in Port
I.
vineyards classified G or lower cannot even produce Port
What is the Moreira da Fonseca method? (Port)
Points are given based on 12 criteria
Seven soil and climate factors are scored: location, altitude, exposure, bedrock, rough matter, slope and shelter. The next five factors relate to the vine itself: type of vine, planting density, yield, training system, and vine age.
Max yield port
red grapes are set at 55 hl/ha; for white grapes the maximum yield is 65 hl/ha.
Preferred grapes of red Port
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca, Bastardo and Mourisco Tinto. They must constitute a minimum 60% of the blend
What are preferred white grapes of Port
Preferred white Port grapes include Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Viosinho, Rabigato, Esgana Cão, and Folgasão.
What are Vinhos ao Alta (port)
planting vines in vertical rows leading directly up the slopes
What are Patamares
—wider terraces that can be navigated by tractor—are more common. Grapes are harvested by hand.
What are Autovinifiers in Port
an Algerian vinification technology in which the fermenting wine would be pumped over the cap by virtue of its own buildup of gas
became popular in 60s and 70s
Beneficio occurs in Port when this much sugar has been converted to alcohol
1/3
To what % abv is port fortified
19-22%
aguardente for Port is this %abv
“burning water”—a 77% abv neutral grape spirit used to fortify port
For most Port, aguardente will be added to the fermenting wine in this ratio
1:4 ratio
How big is a shipping Pipe for port
534.24 liters
How big is a pipe for aging port in Duoro
550L
in Vila Nova de Gaia may often contain 620 liters
Main difference between Ruby and Tawny ports
Ruby Ports, which include Vintage Ports, are bottle-aged, brighter, more fiery
Tawny ports are cask-aged, and develop more complex, mature tones of toffee, dried fruits, and toasted nuts with time
Ruby Reserve Port is this:
Ruby Reserve, or Premium Ruby, replaced the term “Vintage Character” and offers more complexity and character than a basic Ruby Port.
The Ruby category of Port includes “Vintage character” port: T/F?
True
Vintage Port must be bottled by this month and day following harvest
July 30 third year after harvest
What is Late-Bottled Vintage Port (LBV)
4-6 years in cask prior to bottling.
LBV Port is always the product of a single vintage
Generally Filtered before bottling, doesn’t require decanting.
Envelhecido em Garrafa, indicates an additional 3 years min bottle aging. Often Unfiltered.
What is Tawny Port
Many wines labeled as Tawny Port do not undergo the extensive cask aging that is critical to the style, but are simply paler wines—due to the provenance of grapes, a less-thorough extraction, or the addition of white Port to the blend. Lesser vineyards and vintages constitute these wines, which are a popular aperitif in France.
What is Reserve Tawny Port
7 years min aging prior to bottling
Blended from several vintages
Tawny Port will not improve with additional bottle age.
What is Tawny with Indication of Age:
Labeled as 10, 20, 30, or 40 Years Old.
Age indication is not an average age of the blended wines in the bottle, but is an approximation
IVDP determines if the wine “tastes like its been aged”
What is Colheita Tawny:
Vintage dated: min 7 years in cask
Calem, a Port house that specializes in the Tawny style, will not bottle Colheita Tawny Ports until an order is received.
Bottle variation very common for this reason
What are levadas on the Island of Madeira
canals, channeling rainwater from higher peaks, making agriculture possible
This organization oversees and regulates Madeira production
Wine, Embroidery and Handicraft Institute of Madeira (IVBAM) regulates harvesting and production methods of Madeira wines.
Capital of Madeira
Funchal
How many production companies registered with the IVBAM? (Madeira)
There are currently eight:
H.M. Borges
Henriques & Henriques (founded 1850)
Madeira Wine Company
Pereira D’Oliveira
Vinhos Barbeito
Vinhos Justino Henriques
Faria & Filhos
Madeira Vintners
but only six actively export wine.
This company in Madeira was formed as an association of exporters and producers in 1913 and commands the second largest market share
The Madeira Wine Company
produces recognizable brands such as Blandy’s and Cossart Gordon.
Largest independent producer in Madeira
Henriques & Henriques
the only company that owns a significant amount of vineyards
example of a Madeira trader
Broadbent Selections, a company founded by Bartholomew Broadbent (son of Michael) that selects wines produced by Justino’s
What is a Partidista? (Madeira)
stores wine and sells it at maturity to other traders for a profit, make up the third category. Partidistas are similar to the almacenistas of the Sherry trade.
principal noble white grapes of Madeira
Sercial (Esgana Cão), Verdelho, Boal (Bual, Malvasia Fina), and Malmsey (originally Malvasia Candida, now more commonly Malvasia Branca de São Jorge).
What grape is the Madeira’s workhorse, accounting for nearly 85% of its total production.
Tinta Negra (formerly called Tinta Negra Mole)
On a bottle of Madeira, if a varietal is stated, what % must be that varietal?
85% of the stated grape if the wine is a multi-vintage blend, or 100% of the stated variety if a vintage is indicated.
Varietal wines of Madeira driest to sweetest
Sercial
Verdelho
Boal
Malvasia (Malmsey)
What are armazens de calor in Madeira
rooms warmed by nearby tanks or steam pipes rather than the direct heat of the estufa, utilized by the Madeira Wine Company
Canteiro (cask warmed Madeira) wines may be bottled at this min age
minimum three years of age
Epitome of Vintage Madeira
Frasqueira:
Single noble variety
Aged min 20 years in cask
85% of the vintage is required
Canteiro Method
Often in glass demijohns
What is the style of Vinho da Roda/Vinho da Torno/Vinho da Volta Vintage Madeira?
An exceptional rarity, wines so labeled underwent an ocean journey across the equator. Shortridge Lawton, now a brand of the Madeira Wine Company, produced wines in this traditional style as late as the early 1900s.
The first person to ever manufacture Marsala
first manufactured in 1773 by the English Port and Sherry merchant, John Woodhouse.
How are marsalas fortified?
with grape spirit either during or after fermentation, depending on the desired level of sweetness
What is sifone? (Marsala)
a mistelle produced by fortifying the unfermented must of overripe grapes
added to marsala as sweetening agent
Only style of Marsala that permits “concia” the addition of Mosto Cotto or cooked must
Ambra
Colors and styles of Marsala DOC
ambra, oro (golden), and rubino.
Preferred grapes of Ambra and Oro styles of Marsala
Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia (Ansonica), and Damaschino. Grillo and the more delicate Inzolia are preferred
Rubino Marsala is made from these grapes:
Perricone, Calabrese (Nero d’Avola), and Nerello Mascalese. White grapes may comprise a maximum 30% of the rubino production
Marsala Secco:
Marsala Semisecco:
Marsala Dolce:
Secco: max 40g/l RS
Semisecco: 40-100gl/RS
Dolce: min 100g/l RS
Aging requirements Marsala:
Fine:
Superiore:
Superiore Riserva:
Vergine:
Vergine Stravecchio:
Fine: 1 year
Superiore: 2 years
Superiore Riserva: 4 years
Vergine: 5 years
Vergine Stravecchio: 10 years
Can Vergine Marsala be sweet?
NO.
Vergine Marsala is fortified after fermentation
Solera Marsala is this:
must spend at least five years in the solera prior to bottling
What is “Vecchio Samperi”and who produces it
Marco de Bartoli, one of the most revered producers of Marsala, releases his Vergine-quality Marsala as Vino (without GI) due to its lack of fortification.
A vintage on a bottle of Marsala refers to this
the year of fortification.
Newest category of Port
50 year old Tawny and white port
Added to the already established categories of 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-year
Kopke is spearheading
Best port vintages between 1960 and 2000
1963, 1970, 1977, 1994, 2000
What is the minimum alcohol level for a base wine to be sweetened by the cabeceo process ?
17.5%
Does Maderiense produce fortified wines?
NO
Minimum RS for port wines
All Port wines must reach a minimum 17.5 g/l
Port categories and RS levels
Extra-Seco: 17.5 g/l - 40 g/l Seco: 40 - 65 g/l Meio Seco: 65 - 85 g/l Doce: 85 - 130 g/l Muito Doce (Very Sweet): more than 130 g/l
What does Velho mean in Port?
What does Muito Velho mean?
Wines that are 10-30 years old may be labeled “Velho
wines that are over 40 years old may be labeled “Muito Velho” (very old).
Who oversees the regulation of Port?
Douro Port Wine Institute, or Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP)
Overturned Commissão Interprofissional da Região Demarcada do Douro in 2003
What style of wine known as “blackstrap” was sent to England in 1678? What was originally used to fortifiy this style of wine?
The abbot of Lamego practiced mutage, arresting the fermentation of his wines with brandy while sugar was still present. The Englishmen sent the wines home to Liverpool, where the strength and richness of Port, nicknamed blackstrap, earned it wide popularity
Fortified wines throughout the world
Sicily’s Marsala; France’s vin doux naturel; many of Greece’s PDO wines; Portugal’s Setúbal, Carcavelos, and Pico; Sherry’s close cousins Málaga, Montilla-Moriles, and Condado de Huelva, traditional styles of the Iberian peninsula—Tarragona Clásico, Rueda Dorado
There are three general methods of fortification. What are they?
A wine’s fermentation may be arrested through the addition of spirit while sugars remain (as in the case of Port)
the wine may be fortified after the fermentation has concluded (as in the case of Sherry)
(The latter method produces a dry fortified wine, although the winemaker may restore sweetness by the addition of sweetened wine or grape syrup.)
The third method, in which grape must is fortified prior to fermentation, produces a mistelle rather than a fortified wine. (previously called vins de liqueur)
After treaty of Methuen was signed in 1703, Duoro houses couldnt meet demand and used this coloring method to make wines look more like port
deeper color with the addition of elderberry—a technique perhaps borrowed from the Champenoise.
