Port And Fortified Muscats Flashcards
Which are the two towns of the Portuguese Port trade situated, on the coast, North and South of the mouth of the River Douro?
Porto
Villa Nova de Gaia
Working West to East name the three subregions of Port vineyards
Baixo Corgo
Cima Corgo
Douro Superior
Which of Ports subregions produces the lightest wines and why?
Baixo Corgo because it is most westerly and receives some coastal influence
In which of Ports subregions are most vineyards located?
Cima Corgo
Describe the Douro Superior subregion and what it produces
The hottest and most easterly of the subregions
Sparsely planted but produces top quality wine
What is the climate of the Port wine growing regions?
Warm Continental
Shielded from Atlantic winds by Serra do Marão
What are the climate risks in the Port Region?
Some frosts in Spring
Heavy rain can disrupt flowering and harvest
Summer temps can be V. High
Rainfall low
What is the soil on the Port subregions and how does it help vines?
Shist bedrock, fractures vertically helping vine roots to dig down deep to water reserves
What is the topography of the Port subregions and how can Vine growers make the most of it?
Quite extreme
Baixo Corgo and Baixo Cima Planted on steep slopes
Temp diff bottom to top - altitude
Some N face slopes used as face away from hot sun
Name the 3 types of terracing used, list pros and cons
Socalcos - Trad, supported stone walls, no mechanisation
Patamares - Newer type, no walls, allows tractor access
Vinho ao Alto - Unterraced, allows mechanisation but can only be used on gentle slopes
Two types of terracing in Port region face a potential risk.
What is the risk and which are the terracing types?
Patamares and particularly Vinho ao Alto
Soil erosion due to no retaining walls
What is the criteria for a Port grape?
List the 5 varieties used
Thick skinned, High tannin, Black fruit and floral notes
Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional
Tinta Roriz, Tinta Baroca, Tinta Cão
Describe a quality Tawny Port
Pale tawny in colour, high in alcohol, sweet, walnut, coffee, chocolate
What is the grape Tinta Roriz otherwise known as?
Tempranillo
From lowest to highest what is the correct order of price, for these different Port styles? Vintage Port LBV Ruby Reserve Tawny
Ruby, Reserve Tawny, Late Bottle Vintage Port, Vintage Port
At what abv is Port fermentation stopped by the addition of spirit?
5~9% abv
What 4 key steps for the production of Vintage Port?
Rapid extraction of colour
Alcoholic fermentation
Fortification
Ageing
Why is rapid extraction so important in making Port?
Fermentation is cut Short at 24-36 hours because Port is fortified with grape spirit when just 5-9% ABV
What are troughs used for foot treading called?
Lagares
Name the three methods used to rapidly extract colour and tannins from Port grapes
Foot Treading
Autovinifiers
Piston plungers and robotic lagares
Which mechanical extraction system is considered most like traditional Foot Treading?
Piston plungers and Robotic lagares
Briefly summarise how an autovinifier works
Crushed grapes in sealed vat
Ferment pressure forces wine into holding tank
Pressure reached, wine floods back down over cap
Process repeats every 15~20 mins
What is the name of the spirit used to fortify Port?
What is its maximum permitted strength?
What abv range is Port fortified to?
Approx what % of a bottle of Port is this spirit?
Aguardente = Max of 77% ABV
19%-22% ABV for Port, depending on house style
1/5 or 20% of total is from aguardente
Where is Port wine often sent to and why?
Sent to Villa Nova de Gaia because the cooler coast allows slower maturation
