Portugal * Flashcards
What are Portugal’s main wine classification tiers?
Portugal’s 2009 Reform created DOP (Denominação de Origem Protegida, equivalent to DOC), IGP (Indicação Geográfica Protegida, or VR), and basic table wine (Vinhos de Mesa).
How many DOPs and IGPs exist in Portugal?
Portugal has 31 DOPs and 14 IGPs. DOPs are nested within IGPs but can be declassified to the broader category.
What is the lowest category of Portuguese wine?
Vinhos de Mesa (table wine) is the simplest category with no geographic designation.
Define “Garrafeira” in Portuguese wine terms.
Garrafeira indicates additional aging: for white/rosé, 1 year total (6 months in bottle); for red, 30 months total (12 in bottle). Port Garrafeira requires 8 years in glass demijohns.
What does “Reserva” mean on a Portuguese wine label?
For still wine, “Reserva” means the wine has at least +0.5% ABV above the legal minimum. For sparkling, it requires a minimum of 12 months on lees.
What does “Colheita Seleccionada” imply on a label?
It indicates the wine is +1% ABV above the legal minimum for that category.
Name the main IGP and DOP covering the Douro and Port.
The IGP is Duriense, which contains two DOPs: Porto DOP (for fortified Port) and Douro DOP (for dry wines).
What are the three subzones of the Douro from west to east?
Baixo Corgo (westernmost), Cima Corgo (central), and Douro Superior (easternmost).
List key red grape varieties in the Douro.
Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Trincadeira (Tinta Amarela) are the major red varieties.
Name some important white grapes in the Douro and Port region.
Arinto, Cercial, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Sercial (Esgana Cão), Verdelho, and Viosinho are notable Douro whites.
Where is Porto located relative to the Douro vineyards?
Porto (and Vila Nova de Gaia) is on the Atlantic coast about 80 miles west of the main Douro vineyards around Pinhão.
Describe the Douro’s climate and terrain.
It is continental: hot, dry summers and cold winters, protected by mountain ranges. Soils are poor, often schist or slate, producing concentrated grapes.
What historical treaties boosted Port wine trade with England?
The 1386 Treaty of Windsor and the 1703 Treaty of Methuen facilitated strong trade partnerships for Portuguese wine, especially fortified Douro wines.
When was the Douro Wine Company established, and why is it significant?
Established in 1756, it was one of the first attempts at regulating wine production (Port) by demarcating vineyard zones and quality controls.
What are typical styles of dry Douro DOP wines?
Douro DOP includes dry reds (tannic, oak-aged blends), whites (fresh or oaked), rosado, sparkling (minimum 9 months on lees), late-harvest, and Moscatel do Douro (fortified).
Name the primary styles of Port DOP.
Tawny, Ruby, White, Rosado (Pink Port) are broad categories, with further subdivisions such as Vintage, LBV, Colheita, Aged Tawnies, etc.
How is Vintage Port aged and bottled?
Vintage Port is bottled by July 30 of the second year after harvest and must age at least until the third year before release. It’s typically unfiltered and meant for long bottle aging.
Define LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port.
LBV is from a single vintage, aged 4–6 years in cask before bottling. It’s ready to drink upon release, though some LBVs can age further in bottle.
What is Colheita Port?
A single-vintage Tawny Port aged at least 7 years in cask before bottling (often aged much longer).
Explain Aged Tawny Port categories (10/20/30/+40 years).
These indicate an approximate average age in cask, labeled as 10, 20, 30, or over 40 years, with “Velho” used from 10–30 and “Muito Velho” at 40+.
What is “Crusted” Port?
Crusted Port is typically a blend of vintages, bottled unfiltered, creating sediment (crust) in the bottle, somewhat akin to Vintage Port in style.
How long must Reserva Tawny Port age in cask?
Reserva Tawny requires a minimum of 7 years cask aging. (Ruby Reserva doesn’t require a specific time.)
What is a Single Quinta Vintage Port?
A Vintage Port produced from a single estate (quinta), often in non-declared vintage years when the house believes the vineyard merits a special bottling.
Name a few famous Port houses and their key quintas.
Dow’s: Quinta do Bomfim; Graham’s: Quinta dos Malvedos; Quinta do Vesuvio (independent); Taylor-Fladgate: Quinta de Vargellas; Warre’s: Quinta da Cavadinha.
Which areas produce dry Douro wines vs. where Port is aged?
Dry wines are produced in the Douro Valley, but Port is traditionally aged and shipped from Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto on the Atlantic coast.
What is Vinho Verde, and where is it from?
Vinho Verde is a fresh, slightly fizzy wine from the Minho region in Portugal’s cool, rainy northwest.
Which grapes dominate white Vinho Verde?
Alvarinho (Albariño), Loureiro, and Arinto are key white varieties for Vinho Verde.
Name two red grapes grown in Vinho Verde.
Vinhão and Borraçal are commonly used for red or rosado Vinho Verde.
Which DOP is located in the Trás-os-Montes (Transmontano) region?
Trás-os-Montes DOP includes red grapes like Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Bastardo, and whites like Fernão Pires and Rabigato.
What is the main red grape in Bairrada DOP?
Baga is the signature red variety of Bairrada, producing tannic, age-worthy wines.
Which DOP in the Beiras region is known for Touriga Nacional and Encruzado?
Dão DOP is famous for those grapes, producing structured reds (Touriga Nacional) and elegant whites (Encruzado).
What does Távora Varosa DOP specialize in?
Távora Varosa focuses on traditional-method sparkling wines with at least 9 months on the lees.
List some DOs in the Lisboa region.
Encostas d’Aire, Óbidos, Alenquer, and Arruda are among Lisboa’s DOs, producing various styles from Arinto, Castelão, and more.
What is distinctive about Colares DOP?
It features sandy soils near the coast, allowing ungrafted vines of Ramisco (red) and Malvasia (white) to flourish.
Where is Palmela DOP, and what grape dominates?
Palmela DOP is in the Setúbal Peninsula, known for reds based on Castelão (Periquita).
What is Setúbal DOP known for?
Setúbal DOP specializes in fortified Moscatel wines (Moscatel de Setúbal), often sweet and long-aged.
Explain Tejo DOP’s main grapes.
Tejo DOP (formerly Ribatejo) uses Fernão Pires (white) and Castelão (red) as primary varieties, plus others.
Why is Alentejo DOP notable?
Alentejo is a large, hot region producing rich, full-bodied reds (Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet) and some whites; irrigation is common due to dryness.
Which grapes are common in the Algarve region?
Negra Mole and Trincadeira are found in Algarve’s hot, coastal DOs, often producing simpler, “beach wines.”
What are the Açores (Azores) known for in wine terms?
They are volcanic islands in the Atlantic producing white wines from Verdelho and Terrantez do Pico, among others.
Describe Madeira’s main styles.
Rainwater (lighter style), Colheita (single vintage), Frasqueira (20 years in wood), Solera (fractional blending), and age-indicated (5-50+ years).
Name Madeira’s classic noble grapes.
Sercial (dry), Verdelho (medium-dry), Boal (medium-sweet), Malvasia/Malmsey (sweet). Tinta Negra is a versatile workhorse red grape.
How does Madeira’s canteiro and estufagem aging differ?
Canteiro involves natural barrel aging in warm conditions for at least 2 years. Estufagem heats the wine artificially, then cools it, with bottling permitted after 12 months post-heating.
What is Frasqueira Madeira?
A single-vintage (garrafeira-style) Madeira aged at least 20 years in wood, considered among the finest expressions.
Explain Solera Madeira.
A system where up to 10% of wine can be drawn off yearly, replaced with younger wine, for a maximum of 10 fractional additions.
Which style of Madeira is typically the sweetest?
Malvasia (Malmsey) is typically the sweetest, though sweetness can vary by producer. Boal is also quite sweet, but less so than Malmsey.
What is Tinta Negra in Madeira?
It’s the dominant red variety, used in a range of styles from dry to sweet, depending on fortification and aging.
