Port wine

Question 1

solcalcos

Answer 1

A system in the Douro region of Portugal that uses retaining walls to plant vineyards on the steep slopes above the river Douro. Each level will contain one or two rows and must be manually harvested.

Question 2

patamares

Answer 2

Plots of vineyard along the slopes of the Douro river that allow some mechanization, accessible by a road.

Question 3

lagare / lagar

Answer 3

Shallow granite troughs used to macerate the grapes to make port wine.

Question 4

aguardente

Answer 4

The neutral grape spirit used to fortify wine to make port. It must be less than 77% abv, to reach a final goal of 20% total abv.

Question 5

pipes

Answer 5

Elongated wooden vessels, or barrels, that are used to mature tawny port in particular. It allows for deliberate oxidation and produces the flavors of caramel and nuttiness associated with this style.

Question 6

autovinifier

Answer 6

Large vats that use CO2 pressure for extraction and maceration. A valve automatically triggers to let the juice flow to a holding tank for fermentation. Used in for making port.

Question 7

vinha al alto

Answer 7

Vineyards of the Douro region in Portugal that are planted in a vertical, or straight uphill direction. This is a technique that can be used on slopes with less incline.

Question 8

quinta

Answer 8

Roughly equivalent to the term estate in the Douro. A single quinta refers to a port made from one producer’s vineyards and are considered lower in quality than their vintage years.

Question 9

LBV

Answer 9

A labeling term for port that indicates Late Bottled Vintage. It always shows a vintage and is always ruby port, but not as advanced in age nor the quality of a Vintage port. They average between 4 and 6 years of extra ageing.