Portugal Flashcards
Carnation Revolution & Return to Democracy
mid 1970’s
Joined EU 1986
Production and trade restrictions lifted
low interest loans
2011-2014 Bailout
by EU and IMF
austerity programme
export markets important
Climate
Atlantic
Mountain ranged in teh inland northerly regions (continental)
Soils
Schist/granite in mountains
Clay/Limestone in Coastal
Alluvial soils
Sandy soils
Vineyard Management
Reduction of 85k ha over last 30 years in high yield areas
Alentejo - high investment
VSP trellised, cordon or replacement came
Some old bush vines in Douro, Alentego
Irrigation only when quality is in jeopardy, must notify IVDP
Grape Varieties
Tinta Roriz Touriga Franca Touriga Nacional Fernao Pires Castelao Trincadeira Baga Loureiro Arinto Syrah Roupeiro Alicante Bouschet
Traditional Winemaking
3000-6000L Portuguese oak and Brazilian wood toneis
High tannin from stems
Fermenting and foot treading in lagares
GI systems
DOC/DOP
VR
Vinho
DOC/DOP
31 in Portugal with regulations, must all be tested and approved
Denominacao de Origem Controlada
Denominacao de Origem Protegida
VR
Vinho Regional, PGI wines
14 VRs, less stringent requirements
International varieties usually allowed
Vinho
Wines not of PDO or PGI status
Wine Business
6.4 mhL
small holdings, large brands like Mateus source from growers
74 cooperatives
Small volume winemakers who own no vineyards –> trend
Exports
12th largest wine producing country, 9th largest exporter
Growth in volume & value over 2 decades
France, Angola, Germany, UK by volume
France, USA, UK, Brazil by value
Wines of Portugal
founded in 2010
Domestic sales
increased over last few years from rise in incomes and tourism
Vinho Verde DOC
Northwest corner
Atlantic to west, River Minho on border with Spain, mountains of Peneda-Geres to the east, River Douro to south
9 sub regions, 16,000ha
Vinho Verde DOC Climate and Soils
Moderate Maritime from Atlantic and network of river valleys
continental inland
1500mm annually
high vintage variation, affects yields
Granitic bedrock with shallow topsoil of decomposed granite with good drainage
Low fertility soils
Vinho Verde DOC Vineyard Management
Fungal disease
Traditionally vines trained up trees for airflow
VSP, single or double Guyot (replacement cane)
Lyre system
trained high for airflow
Summer pruning
Vinho Verde DOC Grape Varieties
2019: 81% white 14% red 5% rose
Loureiro Alvarinho Pederna Avesso Trajadura VInhao
Loureiro
Vinho Verde, most widely grown
mostly coastal
mid-ripening
medium (+) acidity
citrus, pear, floral, herbal
Alvarinho
Vinho Verde, 2nd most widely grown
Albarino
Citrus, peach, tropical
Medium (+) body, medium (+) to high acidity
Pederna
Vinho Verde, 3rd most planted
Arinto
Mid ripening
neutral, with citrus and apple
high acidity
Avessa
Vinho Verde
Late ripening, can sometimes not ripen fully
Inland (Baiao)
lower acidity, full bodied, citrus and stone fruit
Trajadura
Vinho Verde
Low acidity
apple and peach
usually blended
Vinhao
Vinho Verde
Sousao/Souson
black grape, deeply coloured with cherry fruit and high acidity
Vinho Verde winemaking, high volume and inexpensive
protective and cool ferment in stainless steel with some carbon dioxide added at bottling for spritz
Low alcohol, medium (+) to high acidity, apple, citrus, peach
Vinho Verde winemaking, premium
single varietal and single sub region
Ambient yeasts, old oak, lees
minimum 9% abv
Single varietal Alvarinho from Moncao e Melgaco
Single varietal Alvarinho from Moncao e Melgaco must have lower maximum yields and min 11.5%
Vinho Verde Wine Business
17250 grape growers cultivating 1588ha
very fragmented
400 bottle their own wines
35% exported
Germany, USA, Brazil, France
Douro Climate
Warm Continental, depending on site
Baixo Corgo: cooler and more maritime - 900mm
Cima Corgo: warmer and drier - 700mm
Douro Superior: hot and arid - 450mm
Douro Soils
Schist with shallow topsoil of decomposed schist
Low in organic matter, stony texture, well draining
stores water through vertical layers in schist bedrock
Can irrigate if they notify IVDP
Douro Vineyard Management
Terraces
See Port chapter - finish flashcard later
Douro Black Grape Varieties
Touriga Nacional Touriga Franca Tinta Roriz Tinta Barroca Tinta Cao
Touriga Franca
Retains acidity
Ripe but not jammy black fruits
Medium body, alcohol, red and black fruit with floral
Touriga Nacional
Retains acidity
Ripe but not jammy black fruits
High level of colour and tannin
Black fruits with violet, rose, orange blossom
Sousao
Increased plantings recently
high acidity
Douro White Grape Varieties
Viosinho
Rabigato
Gouveio
Moscatel Galego Branco
Viosinho
Full-bodied with floral and stone fruit notes
Can lack acidity
Rabigato
High acidity
Citrus & floral
Gouvelo
Godello
Medium (+) acidity, citrus and stone fruit
Moscatel Galego Branco
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Douro Wine Styles
70% red wines
25% of sales white wines
small amount of dry rose from short maceration
from inexpensive, early drinking to premium and super premium
Douro Winemaking Red Wines
Destemmed to lower tannin
Stainless Steel for temperature control
Low ferment temp for red (24-28C) for control over tannin extraction
Lagares
Early drinking wines pressed after ferment, or post fermentation maceration
Douro Winemaking White Wines
Inexpensive, cool ferment, stainless steel
Light to medium aromas/flavours, medium to medium (+) acidity, good quality
Moscatel to add aromatic intensity
Douro Wine Business
Port 60%
Douro DOC grown 200k hL in 10 years
Port producers also made Douro DOC
23 cooperatives
Dao DOC
Further south than Vinho Verde, inland from Bairrada
Surrounded by mountains
Mediterranean - warm dry summers and mild winters
1600mm in west, 1100 in east, but in autumn and winter
majority of land is pine and eucalyptus forests
hills, valleys, and mountainsides, mostly at 400-500m but up to 900m
Wines generally less full bodied and intense than Douro, higher acidity
Dao DOC soils
Weathered granite with sandy or loamy texture
low organic matter
free draining
Dao DOC hazards
hail in summer and spring frosts in flat low vineyards
Dao DOC Grape Varieties
Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz Jaen Alfrocheiro Encruzado
Tinta Roriz
Ripens earlier
Deep colour
medium to medium (+) tannin
full body
Jaen
Mencia
Moderate acidity
Blackberry and raspberry
Sometimes carbonic maceration used
Alfrocheiro
Medium tannin & body
strawberry and blackberry
soft, fruity style for early consumption
rose wine
Encruzado
White grape variety
Medium to medium (+) acidity
Lemon, peach, floral
Neutral vessels or oak with lees (can develop nuttiness)
Can be blended with Malvasia Fina, Bical, and Cercial
Dao Wine Business
90% of vineyeards small, less than .5ha
Sogrape (Portugal’s largest producer) paved the way for high quality
Young winemakers making premium wine
Dao Exports
15-20% exported
Canada, Brazil, USA, China
Bairrada
West of Dao, by coast
Maritime climate
800-2300mm in spring and autumn, bad for late ripening varieties
Bairrada Soils
10,000 ha planted area
fertile allusvial soils in the west, limestone-clay slopes
southern vineyards have limestone-clay soils good for Baga
Cantanhede (unofficial sub region in the south): white limestone pebbles that reflect heat
Bairrada Vineyard Management
Guyot trained and VSP trellis most common now, traditionally individually staked bush vines, trained high
Bairrada Grape Varieties
Baga
White: Maria Gomes/Fernao Pires Bical Arinto Cercial
International White Varieties
Baga
used to be high yield, astringent, little concentration, sold to coops
Mateus Rose
Late ripening, so premium wines need careful site selection and imited yields to ripen, green harvesting
Limestone-clay soils for best balance of water retention and drainage
Light coloured soils, pebbles to reflect heat
Traditionally fermented on stems, mixed fermentation vessels, large barrel maturation
Baga Classico
Bairrada
50% Baga
Min 85% blend of Baga, Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Camarate
Maria Gomes
Fernao Pires
most planted white grape
early ripening
high yields
citrus and floral
Medium (+) acidity if picked early, lost acidity quickly
Bical
Medium (+) acidity if picked early, lost acidity quickly
Early ripening
Peach, sometimes tropical
Arinto
Apple and citrus, higher acidity
Cercial
Apple and citrus, higher acidity
Beira Atlantico
VR for Bairrada
Some producers use it because they object to international varieties allowed in DOC
Alentejo
South eastern Portugal
Spanish border to the east
Algarve mountain to the south
8 sub regions
Vinho de Talha DOC
Alentejo DOC for skin contact wines in amphora
Started in 2010
Alentejo Growing Environment
Mediterranean
Hot dry sumers, mild winters
500mm in south, 800mm in north (autumn and winter mostly), drip irrigation used
Plains and gentle slopes, mountains in north, south, and east
Alentejo Soils
Granite, Schist, Limestone
Sand to clay textures
Alentejo Vineyard Management
double cordon with VSP
Replacement Cane pruning declining because not enough labour
Alentejo DOC Sub regions
8 sub regions
Portalegre (northern), cooler, 800m altitude, small vineyards
Alentejo Black Grape Varieties
75% black: Aragonez Alicante Boushcet Trincadeira Syrah Petit Verdot
Alentejo White Grape Varieties
Roupeiro Arinto Antao Vaz Chardonnay Viognier
Alentejo Sales
Larger than any other regions
37% of domestic market by volume, 40% by value
20% of Portuguese exports
Brazil, Angola, USA, Switzerland, Canada
Wine tourism - close to Lisbon
Lisboa
Long thin region from Lisbon up 150km norther
18,000 ha under vine
9 DOCS
Lisboa Growing Environment
Maritime climate
Eastern side is more protected
Lisboa Soils
clay-limestone
Lisboa Grape Varieties
Touriga Nacional
Aragonez
Arinto
Syrah Cab Pinot Sauv Blanc RIesling
Lisboa DOCs
Alenquar
Bucelas
Colares
Carcavelos
Alenquar
Lisboa DOC
Full-bodied reds from Touriga Nacional and Aragonez + international varieties
Good to very good, mid-priced
Bucelas
Lisboa DOC
high acid Arinto (must be 75% of blend)
STainless stell or lees/oak
Colares
Lisboa DOC
cool, foggy, coastal, ungrafted old bush vines
Lisboa wine production
Mostly Lisboa VR
Peninsula de Setubal
between estuaries of Tejo and Sado rivers south of Lisbon
Mediterranean, hot dry summers/mild wet winters
Mountains in the south on clay-limestone
DOCs: Palmela DOC and Setubal DOC
Palmela
DOC of Peninsula de Setubal
Mainly red, must be 67% Castelao (aka Periquita)
Deep colour, full-bodied, spicy oak
Also other Portuguese & international varieties
Peninsula de Setubal VR
larger area, greater flexibility
Tejo
inland from Lisboa
Mediterranean, north has higher rainfall with clay-limestone and schist soils. River has fertile alluvial soils. South has poor sandy soils.
Past: volume from high fertility vineyards
recently, higher qulaity from less fertile soils
VR and a DOC
