Portugal Flashcards
Which Portuguese grape provides the backbone for most of the country’s dry reds and ports?
Touriga nacional
What are the main grapes of Portugal?
Alvarinho
touriga nacional
Baga
Tinto roriz AKA Tempranillo
Which Portuguese white grape provides the base for most white blends?
Alvarinho
How was port conceived?
Engish sailors added brandy to duoro wine to preserve it during long voyages back from Portugal. or tubal provided much of
England’s wine when French supply had been cut off due to war.
What is the general climate of Portugal?
Warm to hot. Mediterranean in south. Coastline gets rain but inland is arid.
How are Portuguese wines labeled? If a wine is 100% Touriga
Nacional, how is it labeled?
Portuguese wines are labeled by region except for 100% Touriga nacional wines which are labeled by grape.
What is Portugal’s law system called?
Denominacao de Origem controlada
What were the four original tiers of Portuguese quality classification from lowest to highest?
Vinho de mesa
Vino regional VR
Indicacao de proveniencia regulamentada IPR
Denominacao de Origem controlada DOC
What are Portugal’s newly sanctioned quality levels in accordance with the EU?
Indicacao geografica protegida IGP (former vinos regionales VR)
Denominacao de Origem protegida DOP (former DOC and
IPR)
What percent of grapes need to be grown in the stated region of Portuguese IGP wines?
85%
How has portugal’s isolation effected its wine industry?
Distinct grape varietals and traditional styles
In which area of Portugal are most of the country’s important regions?
Northern Portugal
Describe Vinho verde.
From the DOC of the same name in the province of Minho in northwest Portugal. Meant to be drunk young. Made from early harvested grapes to retain acidity and keep alcohol low. Typically slightly carbonated. Made with alvarinho, bags, trajadura, loureiro and arinto grapes.
What type of soil is in the bairrada DOC of portugal?
Clay (Barros)
Which grapes are grown in the Duoro DOC of Portugal? What kind of climate and land are there?
Touriga nacional
Tinta barroca
Tinta roriz
Baga
Very hot. steel slopes.
Which DOC is south of the Duoro in Portugal ?
Dao DOC
Which Portuguese DOC is known for Muscat based fortified wines?
Setubal
Which area of Portugal supplies most of the world’s cork?
Alentejo (southeastern Portugal)
Porto DOC also falls into which other Portuguese DOC?
duoro
Describe the location, soil and climate of Porto DOC?
The city is located on the Atlantic coastline at the mouth of duoro River. It is hot with schist soils.
Describe the arrested fermentation process of port wine.
Port is spiked with a 154 proof brandy or 77% neutral grape spirit called aguardente at 1 part brandy to 4 parts wine. This raises the alcohol to 20% or more, thus killing yeast and retaining RS.
What are the five main grapes used to make Port?
Touriga nacional Touriga Francesca Tinta barroca Tinta roriz AKA Tempranillo Tinta cao
What are the three main areas of port production?
Baixo corgo
Cima corgo
Duoro superior
Which place is considered the classic center of port production?
Cima corgo
What city is considered the classic center of port trade?
Vila nova de gaia
What are the two basic types of port?
Bottle aged or wood aged
How long are bottle aged ports aged in barrels before bottling?
1-2 years
Which type of port gets minimal exposure to oxygen during aging?
Which type gets extreme exposure?
Bottled aged
Wood aged
What is a vintage port?
A type of bottle aged port made only in the best years from the best grapes from the best vineyards. Short period of barrel aging before bottling. Expensive!
Which types of port have more oxidized flavors of caramel and dried fruit?
Wood aged ports
What do ruby and tawny ports have in common?
Both wood-aged (around 3 years in barrel before bottling). Both nonvintage blends.
What are the age declarations for aged tawny ports?
Multiples of ten years
What is the minimum aging in cask for colheitas?
7 years
What are LBV ports?
Late bottled vintage made from a single vintage. 4-6 years of barrel aging. Ready to consume when bottled. May require decanting.
When can you drink a wood aged port?
As soon as it is bottled.
What type of port is a single Quinta port?
Bottle aged
What is the soil of Madeira? What is the geography and climate there?
Volcanic ashy soil.
Tropical temperatures.
Island in the Atlantic.
Describe Madeira wines.
Dry to sweet fortified and oxidized wines that are also cooked. They can survive in convictions that most other wines cannot.
High in alcohol and ageworthy. Age in bottle indicates an average age of all components. Most are blends matured in estufa tanks which heat water to accelerate maturation process. Different grapes make different styles of Madeira.
What is the sweetest Madeira?
Malmsey/ Malvasia
Which is the driest, most acidic Madeira?
Sercial
What is boal/bual?
A sweet Madeira
Which Madeira is semisweet?
Verdelho
What are the four types of Madeira from dry to sweet?
Sercial
Verdelho
Bual/boal
Malvasia or Malmsey
