Port

Question 1

What is the minimum aging time before bottling required for Reserve Tawny Port?

Answer 1

Reserve Tawny Port must be aged for at least seven years in oak before bottling.

Question 2

What is the Cadastro?

Answer 2

The Cadastro is the vineyard ranking system in the DOC for Port.

Question 3

What are lagares?

Answer 3

Lagares are the open granite or concrete troughts that were traditionally used for foot-crushing grapes for Port.

Question 4

Approximately what percentage of the Douro region’s production is Porto?

Answer 4

About half.

Question 5

What are the three sub-regions of Douro?

Answer 5

Baixo Corgo
Cima Corgo
Douro Superior

Question 6

Which sub-zone of Douro is the source of much unfortified wine?

Answer 6

Douro Superior.

Question 7

In which of the sub-zones of Douro are the majority of vineyards used for Port production located?

Answer 7

Cima Corgo

Question 8

Which sub-zone of Douro makes grapes mostly for lighter styles of Port?

Answer 8

Baixo Corgo

Question 9

What are the five preferred varieties for Port production?

Answer 9

Touriga Ncaional
Touriga Franca
Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo)
Tinta Barroca
Tinto Cão

Question 10

What grapes are used for white Port?

Answer 10

Gouveio and Malvasia Fina

Question 11

What is Vila Nova de Gaia?

Answer 11

A town across the Douro River from Oporto where most of the big Port lodges are located for storing and aging Port.

Question 12

What are the major styles of Port?

Answer 12

Ruby
Reserve
Late-Bottled Vintage
Tawny
Vintage
Single Quinta Vintage
Colheita
White
Rose

Question 13

How long is Ruby Port aged for?

Answer 13

About two years in large oak casks before being bottled.

Question 14

What is a Reserve Port?

Answer 14

A blend of premium ruby Ports, aged for 4-6 years in oak vats, more like Tawny Port in style.

Question 15

What is a Late-Bottle Vintage Port?

Answer 15

A single vintage, aged in large oak vats 4-6 years after harvest. Most are filtered before bottling.

Question 16

When are Vintage Ports bottled?

Answer 16

They must be bottle by July 30th of the third year after harvest. The bottles are cellared for years/decades before release.

Question 17

What is Taylor’s?

Answer 17

An important independent port shipper and key part of the Fladgate Partnership. One of the oldest Port houses. One of the most admired and longest lived vintage ports.

Question 18

What is the Fladgate Partnership?

Answer 18

A company comrpised of Taylor’s (Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman) and Croft. Market share of more than 33% of the premium port market.

Question 19

What is Grahams?

Answer 19

An important port shipper. Part of Symingtons.

Question 20

What is Symingtons?

Answer 20

A leading family of Port Wine Shippers. Includes Graham, Dow, Warre, Smith Woodhouse, Quinta do Vesuvio, and Cockburn. Also sell Douro table wines.

Question 21

What is Warre’s?

Answer 21

An important Port shipper, part of Symingtons. The oldest British port company, founded in 1670.

Question 22

What is Sogrape?

Answer 22

Portugal’s largest wine producer. Owns vineyards and wineries in many regions, as well as Port shippers Ferreira and Sandeman.

Question 23

What is Sandeman?

Answer 23

A port producer owned by Sogrape.

Question 24

What is Quinta de Noval?

Answer 24

An historic, unusual vineyard-based Port shipper founded in 1715. Also produces red and white wines.

Question 25

What is a Colheita for Port?

Answer 25

For Port, a Colheita is a single vintage reserve tawny port, very few are produced.