Portugal Flashcards
List the wine regions of Portugal
Vinho Verde DOC
Dao DOC
Douro DOC
Bairrada DOC
Lisboa VR:
Tejo DOC
Alentejo DOC
Peninsula de Setubal VR
List the VR of each wine region
Vinho Verde DOC: Minho VR
Dao DOC: Terras do Dao VR
Douro DOC: Duriense VR
Bairrada DOC: Beira Atlantico VR
Lisboa VR:
Tejo DOC: Tejo VR
Alentejo DOC: Alentejano VR
Peninsula de Setubal VR
In which regions are schist and granite commonly found in Portugal?
Vinho Verde;
Douro;
Dão;
Alentejo (hilly outcrops).
Which regions in Portugal have more varied soils (clay, limestone, and sandy)?
Bairrada;
Lisboa;
Tejo;
Península de Setúbal.
These are wine regions further south and near the coast.
In Portugal, a great number of high-producing vineyards on the most fertile alluvial soils have been grubbed up since it joined the European Union in 1986 (particularly in Tejo and Vinho Verde).
What has been the focus of replanting?
Higher quality sites and planting material - it’s also been restricted to avoid surpluses.
Why has Alentejo seen significant investment and vineyard growth recently?
- Proximity to Lisbon (set up for tourism);
- Warm, sunny and dry climate;
- Flat topography allowing for mechanization;
- It has a high number of estates with large, relatively young, vineyard holdings.
What two areas in Portugal are seeing the most notable climate change?
- In continental, inland regions such as the Douro, Dão and Alentejo;
- In coast regions where wetter weather can increase the risk of poor fruit set and, later in the season, fungal disease.
The majority of old bush vines in Portugal can be found in which areas?
Douro;
Alentejo;
Dão and Bairrada to lesser extents.
How are the majority of vineyards trained in Portugal?
Pruned and trained to either cordon or replacement-cane, and VSP trellised.
Many of these newer vineyards are planted to one or two varieties, not a mixed ‘field blend’ the way old bush vine vineyards were planted.
How is irrigation applied in Portugal?
It is only to be used where lack of water could jeopardize quality; it cannot be used for boosting yields.
Most areas in Portugal now require irrigation in order to produce healthy grapes.
Most Portuguese wines are blends, but there are a few notable grapes commonly bottled as single varieties.
What are they?
- Baga in Bairrada;
- Encruzado in Dão;
- Alvarinho in the Monção e Melgaço sub-region of Vinho Verde.
What are the most planted red and white grape varieties in Portugal?
Red: Tinta Roriz/Aragonez (Tempranillo).
White: Maria Gomes/Fernão Pires.
What five kinds of oak are used in Portugal?
French;
Italian;
Austrian;
Portuguese oak and chestnut;
Brazilian hardwood toneis (traditionally 3,000-6,000L, found mostly in Bairrada).
Rising in popularity across Portugal is wines fermenting on the skins in clay amphorae, and there is a DOC in Alentejo that covers wines made only in this way.
What is the name of the DOC
Vinho de Talha DOC (talha is the word for clay amphora).
PDO status wines in Portugal use _____.
How many are there?
DOP/DOC – there are 31 in Portugal.
PGI status wines in Portugal use _____.
How many are there?
Vinho Regional (VR) – there are 14 in Portugal.
VRs allow a wider selection of grape varieties, including international varieties.
The word “Vinho” on a label of Portuguese wine means _____.
The wine is not of PDO or PGI status.
What is the biggest wine company in Portugal?
Sogrape – it’s a negociant that has acquired vineyards in a move to diversify, increase quality, and compete in non-traditional export markets.
What are the physical boundaries of Vinho Verde?
- Atlantic Ocean to the west;
- Minho River to the north;
- Mountains of Peneda-Gerês National Park to the east.
What is the Vinho Regional (VR, or IGP) of Vinho Verde?
Minho.
Vinho Verde:
What is the climate?
What is the average annual rainfall?
What is the general soil type?
- Moderate maritime climate that turns continental in the east;
- 1500mm/year
- Granitic bedrock with a shallow topsoil of decomposed granite with a sandy texture that’s naturally low in fertility.
What do growers do to remedy the low fertility soils?
- The natural fertility of the soil is low and therefore fertilizers, such as manure, are commonly needed.
What are the 5 white grape varieties of Vinho Verde?
- Loureiro;
- Alvarinho;
- Pedernã;
- Avesso;
- Trajadura.
What is the most planted red grape variety in Vinho Verde?
Vinhão
Describe the eastern continental part of Vinho Verde and what grapes grow there
- Here warmer, drier sub- regions, such as Baião and Monção e Melgaço, lend themselves to later ripening grape varieties such as Avesso, and produce wines with more body and alcohol, notably Alvarinho.
Because rain falls in Vinho Verde throughout the year, what problems does that pose?
Fungal disease pressure (rot and mildew).
How are modern vineyards planted in Vinho Verde?
Single or double Guyot (replacement-cane) with VSP, or lyre system.
All are trained relatively high from the ground to increase air circulation and reduce the chance of rot.
Name 3 techniques used in Vinho Verde vineyards to help reduce fungal disease pressure, improve air circulation, and enhance fruit ripening.
Removal of lateral shoots;
Leaf removal;
Green harvesting.
Describe the inexpensive, high-volume white Vinho Verde wine.
- Usually a blend;
- The wines are made with protective methods and cool fermentation in stainless steel.
- Spritzy from CO2 being added;
- Low in alcohol;
- M+ to H acidity;
- Apple, citrus, peach notes;
- Some may have RS;
- Typically made by one of the region’s co-ops or wine merchants.
- Usually of good quality
Describe higher quality wines of Vinho Verde:
- Ambient yeasts,
- (mostly) old oak for fermentation and/or maturation
- may choose to keep the wine on its lees for a few months to enhance complexity and texture.
- These wines are often mid- priced to premium and are generally of very good quality.
Vinho Verde wines that do not mention a subregion have a minimum abv of ___%.
Vinho Verde wines that do mention a subregion have a minimum abv of ___%.
Single variety Alvarinho from Monção e Melgaço must have a minimum abv of ___%.
8% abv;
9% abv;
11.5% abv.
In Vinho Verde subregions outside of Monção e Melgaço, if a producer wants to label their Alvarinho as a single variety what appellation must it take?
Minho VR.
Select the correct answer.
In Vinho Verde, on average every grower owns:
a. Less than one hectare
b. About 10 hectares
c. About 100 hectares
a. Less than one hectare
Land ownership in Vinho Verde is very fragmented – only ~400 growers bottle their own wines out of the 17,250 grape growers.
Name an important producer from Vinho Verde.
Anselmo Mendes
Quinta de Soalheiro
Describe exports of vinho verde
- Exports have gradually grown. In 2019, approximately 35 per cent of production was exported.13 The key markets by volume are Germany, the USA, Brazil and France, with the USA leading in terms of value of sales.
Loureiro
Loureiro - It is mid-ripening and produces wines with medium (+) acidity and citrus, pear, floral and herbal aromas.
grown throughout region but closer to coasts
Alvarinho
Alvarinho - which has citrus, peach and sometimes tropical flavours, often with medium (+) body and medium (+) to high acidity.
traditionally grown in Moncao e melcago
Pederna
It is mid- ripening and produces wines that are more neutral than Loureiro or Alvarinho, with subtle citrus and apple fruit and high acidity.
Avesso
is a late-ripening grape and can fail to ripen fully unless weather conditions are relatively warm and dry. Avesso is lower in acidity than some of the other varieties, can be relatively full-bodied and displays citrus and stone fruit.
It tends to be grown inland in the south of the region, particularly in the sub-region of Baião, benefitting from the slightly warmer, drier conditions here
Trajadura
is low in acidity with apple and peach flavours. It is usually blended with varieties that have higher levels of acidity.
Vinhao
producing deeply coloured wines with cherry fruit and characteristic high acidity.
In what year was the Douro DOC established?
1982
What was the first still red wine to come out of the Douro?
Barca Velha.
1952
How was the modern generation of unfortified Douro wines kickstarted?
Portugal joined the EU in 1986 which increased investment in modern winemaking equipment;
Some Douro estate owners won a court case allowing wines to be directly exported from estates (rather than being exported from Vila Nova de Gaia)
What are the three regions of the Douro?
Douro Superior (Upper Douro) in the east;
Cima Corgo in the middle;
Baixo Corgo in the west.
The Douro is protected from damp Atlantic weather by the _______ in the far western portion of the region.
Serra do Marão