Portugal Flashcards
Describe the climate of Portugal.
The majority of Portugal is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, so much of the country has a Maritime climate.
Going inland, the climate becomes drier and hotter (more continental) which can be mitigated by altitude.
The large differences in annual average temperature partly
account for the diversity of wine styles found in Portugal.
What are the classification levels of Portuguese wine?
In ascending order:
Vinho : table wines, eg simple, fruity off-dry rosé
IGP (Indicação Geográfica Protegida), aka Vinho Regional. Minimum 85% of grapes grown in the stated region. 14 IGP
PDO level: DOP and DOC are both used in Portugal (Denominação de Origem Protegida and Denominação de Origem Controlada)
In Portugal, table wines without geographical indication are labeled as _______.
Vinho:
- Wine without Geographical Indication
- Variety and vintage may appear on the label.
- table wine
Name the 5 most important DOCs/DOPs of Portugal.
Vinho Verde
Douro
Dão
Bairrada
Alentejo
Where is Vinho Verde located?
Vinho Verde is in the very northwestern corner of Portugal, on the south side of the Minho River across from Galicia.
The Altantic Ocean is on Vinho Verde’s western border.
What is the climate of Vinho Verde?
Vinho Verde’s climate is moderate Maritime due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
The region receives high amounts of rainfall throughout the year.
Due to the high amount of rainfall in Vinho Verde, what threats do the vines face?
The high levels of precipitation can lead to excessive canopy growth and encourage fungal disease.
What is the classic vineyard trellising system used in Vinho Verde?
Or, what trellising system is Vinho Verde moving away from?
The pergola system
In recent years Vinho Verde has started to move into which other trellising system?
Spur-pruned VSP, to create airflow in the humid environment, is now used to improve the health and quality of the grapes and to
allow for mechanisation.
What are the local white grape varieties of Vinho Verde?
Arinto
Loureiro
Alvarinho (Albarino in Spain)
What is the classic style of wine of Vinho Verde?
Low alcohol, crisp, citrusy white wines – sometimes with a kiss of residual sugar to make them just off-dry – and almost always with a slight prickle which gives them a snappy, thirst-quenching quality.
Vinho Verde Alvarinho is made exclusively from this white grape variety
Alvarinho
What is the most important subregion of Vinho Verde DOC for the production of quality Alvarinho?
What is different about the Alvarinhos here vs. the rest of Vinho Verde?
Monção e Melgaço
Alvarinhos from Monção e Melgaço express riper, more tropical fruits, fuller body, and higher alcohol (11.5 - 14%) compared to the everyday, light-bodied whites of Vinho Verde.
What is the typical abv range of Vinho Verde?
8% - 11.5%
If a wine label reads Vinho Verde Alvarinho, what % must be Alvarinho?
100%
Are wined in Vinho Verde always white?
Black varieties are also grown for the production of red and rose wines.
The reds are deeply coloured and tannic; the roses are fresh and fruity.
What is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world?
The Douro
What is the mountain range on the western side of the Douro Valley?
he Marao Mountains
Where is Douro DOC located?
It is located some 80 kilometres east of Porto and
stretches from the Marao Mountains to the frontier with
Spain.
What style of wine is the Douro Valley most famous for?
Wine production in the Douro is dominated by Port
What are the differences between Douro DOC and Porto DOC?
Douro DOC is a designation of red and white wines.
Porto DOC is the designation of the famous fortified wines.
Name the 5 leading red grape varieties used for both unfortified and fortified wines in the Douro.
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Franca
Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo)
Tinta Barreca
Tinta Cao
Which grape variety is considered the highest quality for red wine production in the Douro?
Touriga Nacional.
It gives low yields of grapes and produces wines that have intense colour and flavours and high levels of tannin .
What is the style of red wines of the Douro (apart from Port)?
The red wines of the Douro tend to be deeply coloured
and full-bodied with a high level of ripe tannins and rich
black fruit flavours. The best examples often display
subtle toasty aromas from maturation in new oak