Fortified Wines Study Guide Flashcards
Fortifying base wines with a neutral grape spirit strengthens them for what 4 purposes?
Added body, warmth, durability, and age worthiness.
What are the three great archetypes of fortified wine?
Sherry, Port, and Madeira
What is Sicily’s star fortified wine appellation?
Marsala
What are Portugal’s four star fortified wines?
Port, Setúbal, Carcavelos, and Pico
What are Sherries 3 close Spanish cousins? What are two other traditional but fading Spanish fortified wines?
Málaga, Montilla-Moriles, and Condado de Huelva
Tarragona Clásico and Rueda Dorado are traditional but fading
What are aromatized wines?
Fortified wines flavored by maceration with additional herbs and spices
What are the three general methods of fortification?
Fortification that arrests fermentation through addition of spirit while sugars remain (Port, VDN)
Fortification following the conclusion of fermentation (Sherry)
Fortification prior to fermentation (mistelle/VDL)
What are the vin de liqueur for the following: Champagne, Cognac, Armagnac, and Jura?
Ratafia (Champagne)
Pineau des Charentes (Cognac)
Floc de Gascogne (Armagnac)
Macvin du Jura (Jura)
When was the Douro first demarcated for Port production?
1756
Who oversees and enforces regulation regarding production of Port?
Douro Port Wine Institute
a.k.a
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP)
The Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto absorbed the regulatory powers of what precursor organization in 2003?
Commissão Interprofessional da Região Demarcada do Douro
What is the lei do terço?
Law of the Third
A decree restricting sales of Port to one-third of a house’s total inventory annually
What does the IVDP supervise?
The promotion, production, and trade of all Porto and Douro DOP wines while enforcing the lei do terço. Additionally, the IVDP guarantees label integrity and age designations, and samples all appellation wines for authenticity.
What is a grower’s “authorized benefico”?
Authorized beneficio is the maximum amount of wine that may be fortified in a given year-based on a matrix of 12 factors.
What 7 soil and climate factors are scored for a grower’s beneficio?
location altitude slope shelter exposure bedrock rough matter
What 5 vine factors are scored and contribute to the score for a port producer’s benefico?
type of vine planting density yield training system vine age
What are the maximum yields for Douro red and white grapes respectively?
55hl/ha (red) and 65hl/ha (white)
What are the 9 red grapes that must combine for a min 60% of the blend for Porto DOP wines?
Touriga Nacional Touriga Francesa Tinta Roriz Tinta Cão Tinta Barroca Tinta Amarela Tinta Francisca Bastardo Mourisco Tinto
What are the 6 preferred white grapes for Porto DOP wines?
Rabigato Esgana Cão Folgasão Viosinho Malvasia Fina Gouveio
What are the two methods in which vines are planted in the Douro?
Vertical rows planted up the slope (Vinhos ao Alta)
Terraces (Patamares)
What are lagares?
Traditional open granite troughs used for foot-crushing and fermentation in Port production.
What modern fermentation vessel from Algeria is used in Port production introduced in the 1960s and 70s? How does it work?
Autovinifiers
Fermenting wine is pumped over the cap by virtue of its own buildup of gas.
How many days is a Port fermentation typically?
2-3 days
Beneficio, or the fortification of wine with spirit occurs when what fraction of the fermentable sugars has been fermented?
Approximately 1/3
Between what percentages abv is Port fortified to?
Between 19-22%
What is the spirit used for the fortification of port called?
Aguardente “burning water”
Aguardiente is what % abv in strength?
77%
What is benificio known as in France?
mutage
Each producer’s proportion of aguardiente is different, but generally the spirit is added to the fermenting must in what proportion?
1:4 ratio
White and rosé ports were pioneered in the late 2000s by who?
Croft
What is the traditional barrel for both aging and shipping port wine? What is it’s volume in the Douro Valley? What is its volume in Vila Nova de Gaia? What is the standard set size of the same named barrel used for shipping Port?
Pipe
550L Douro Valley
620L in Vila Nova de Gaia
534.24L is the standard size Pipe for shipping Port
What are the two broad fundamental styles of Port?
Ruby and Tawny
What is the fundamental difference in regards to production of Port that will determine its style?
Where the Port ages.
Ruby ports are aged in bottle whereas Tawny Ports have extended cask aging
What is the difference in general style between Ruby and Tawny ports?
Ruby Ports display darker color, more youthful fruit and spice tones and more aggressive, fiery character.
Tawny Ports display more complex, mature tones of toffee, dried fruit, and toasted nuts with time. Tawny port displays lighter color as it is oxidatively aged in wood.
Prior to 1986 it was mandatory for port to be aged in what suburb of Oporto? Why was this?
Vila Nova de Gaia
Prior to climate control air conditioning the cooler air of Oporto was much more preferable to the warm climate of the Douro Valley.
What are the 5 styles of Ruby Port?
Ruby Ruby Reserve Vintage Single Quinta Vintage Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV)
What style of port replaced the term “Vintage Character”? What is this also called?
Ruby Reseve
also called Premium Ruby
What is the difference between Ruby and Ruby Reserve?
Both are simple Ruby ports aged in bulk for 2-3 years in wood, cement, or stainless steel but Ruby Reserve offers more complexity and character than basic Ruby.
What percent of total production is Vintage Port?
1-3%
In a decade how many times on average will a Port house declare a vintage?
3 years out of every 10
Who authorizes the production of Vintage Port?
IVDP
For how long may Vintage Port age in cask prior to bottling?
Until July 30th of the third year following harvest
What are back to back declared vintages in Port called? Why are they so rare?
Split Vintages
Rare because few shippers want to flood the market at the expense of pricing for their products.
Port houses can have several estates. If a single vintage’s harvest isn’t exceptional universally but one estate’s fruit is quite exceptional, what style of ruby port may that port house decide to produce? The wines from these estate’s usually provide what to the port house during vintage years?
Single Quinta Vintage
These estates usually provide the backbone for the blend that will become a Port house’s vintage bottlings.
What are 3 examples of Quintas making Single Quinta Vintage Port and what are their corresponding houses?
Quinta da Cavadinha (Warre’s)
Quinta de Vargellas (Taylor)
Quinta do Bomfim (Dow’s)
For how long will Late-Bottled Vintage Port remain in cask prior to bottling?
Between 4-6 years
Will Late-Bottle-Vintage throw sediment?
The majority won’t as they are commonly filtered prior to bottling, but exceptions do exist for the higher quality bottlings that are closer to Vintage Port in character. These will continue to mature in bottle though reach maturity before Vintage Ports and will often be unfiltered.
What are the aging requirements for Envelhecido em Garrafa LBV Port?
4-6 years in cask plus min additional 3 years in bottle prior to bottling
The term Envelhecido em Garrafa applies to what style of port?
Late-Bottled Vintage Port
Why is basic Tawny Port paler in color despite not going through the extensive cask aging associated with the style? Grapes used for these wines come from where?
These wines are paler due to the provenance of grapes, a less-thorough extraction, or the addition of white Port to the blend.
Grapes used for these wines are from lesser vineyards and/or lesser quality vintages
Reserve Tawny Port ages for how many years in cask prior to bottling?
7 years
Are Reserve Tawny Ports the product of a single vintage?
No, they are blended from several vintages
How does Reserve Tawny compare to basic Tawny?
Reserve Tawny is aged extensively in cask (min 7 years) unlike basic Tawny, and shows a hint of the creamy, delicate nature that the tawny style is known for.
What are the four designations for Tawny with Indication of Age? Are these an indication of the average age of the wines used in the blend?
10 Year
20 Year
30 Year
40 Year
Not an indication of average age of wines used. This is simply an approximation based on taste determined by the IVDP.
For Tawny port after how many years is a Tawny Port said to take on oxidative, rancio state?
After 40 Years
In regards to Tawny with Indication of Age, what age designation to most connoisseurs prefer? Why?
20 Year
Because these wines have the best balance of fruit and mature characteristics of an aged Tawny with the spirit finely integrated and the wine not overtly oxidized.
For how long is Colheita Tawny port aged in cask? Is it the product of a single vintage?
Minimum 7 years though most producers age for much longer.
Yes, product of a single vintage.
Which style of Port are the product of a single vintage?
Vintage (ruby)
Single Quinta Vintage (ruby)
Late-Bottled Vintage (ruby)
Colheita (tawny)
For how long is Vintage and Single Vintage Quinta Port aged either in Cask or bottle prior to release?
Min 2 years, but must be bottled prior to July 30 of the 3rd year following harvest
What are the widely declared vintages for the from 1950 to today?
'50, '55, '58 '60, '63, '67 '70, '75, '77, '78 '80, '82, '83, '85, '87, '89 '91, '92, '94, '97 2000, 2003, 2007 2011, 2016, 2017
What is the name of the large wooden vessel used to store port wine in bulk prior to bottling?
balseiro
For how long following the harvest of Port grapes does a producer have to determine whether or not they would like to declare a vintage for their harvest?
2 years
What is Crusted Port?
Crusted port is a style of Ruby Port pioneered by British port shippers to provide Vintage port lovers with a cheaper alternative. It is typically a blend of wines from a number of years and bottled young. Gets its name due to the fact that it is unfined and unfiltered prior to bottling thus throws sediment just like Vintage Port.
Which 3 styles of Port should be decanted?
Vintage Port
Crusted Port
Some Late-Bottled Vintage Port
What are the 3 split vintages since 1950?
‘77/’78
‘82/’83
‘91/’92
16/17
What kind of climate does the island of Madeira experience?
subtropical
What is the torna viagem?
Old traditional lengthy ocean voyage that Madeira used to make that originally gave the wines of Madeira their character.
On what two islands may the wines of Madeira DOP be produced?
Madeira and Porto Santo
What are terraces for viticulture in Madeira called? What soil type are they composed mostly of?
poios
made mostly of basalt
What is the name of the most common training system for vines in Madeira? Describe it. What is its purpose?
Latadas
pergola system with vines suspended on low trellises.
Combats the dangers of fungal disease in the damp subtropical environment.
What are levadas in Madeira?
Levadas are canals that channel runoff rainfall from the top of Madeira that is used to make agriculture possible on the island.
What governing body regulates harvesting and production methods of Madeira wines?
the Wine, Embroidery and Handicraft Institute of Madeira (IVBAM)
What are the three types of companies involved with the Madeira wine trade? Describe how each functions
Production companies:
Make the wine. Most of these are based in Funchal, Madeira’s capitol. Currently 8 total with only 6 exporting.
Shipping companies:
Trade wine rather than produce it. Most of these are based in London. Shipper will select wines from a producer, who will then bottle the wine under the shipper’s brand.
Partidistas
Store wine and sell it at maturity to other traders for a profit.
What is the sherry equivalent of the partidistas of Madeira?
almacenistas
Which production company is the largest on Madeira and responsible for half of the island’s exports?
Vinhos Justino Henriques
What is the second largest Madeira production company which was formed as an association of exporters and producers? What popular brands do they produce?
The Madeira Company
Blandy’s and Cossart Gordon
What is the largest independent producer of Madeira as well as the only company that owns a significant amount of vineyards?
Henriques and Henriques
What are the two oldest production companies in Madeira?
D’Oliveira (founded in 1850 as a partidista)
Henriques and Henriques (1850)
What are 5 quality production companies of Madeira other than D’Oliveira and Henriques and Henriques?
Vinhos Barbeito Madeira Wine Company Vinhos Justino Henriques Faria and Filhos H.M. Borges
What are the 4 noble white grapes of Madeira?
Sercial (Esgana Cão)
Verdelho (Gouveio)
Boal (Bual, Malvasia Fina)
Malmsey (Malvasia Candida originally but more often Malvasia Branca de São Jorge)
Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, and Malmsey are the four noble white grapes of Madeira. What are their synonyms?
Sercial (Esgana Cão)
Verdelho (Gouveio)
Boal (Bual, Malvasia Fina)
Malmsey (Malvasia Candida originally but more often Malvasia Branca de São Jorge)