Portugal Flashcards
As of 2011, what are the fourteen IGPs in Portugal
Minho, Transmontano, Duriense, Terras do Dão, Terras de Cister, Terras da Beira, Beira Atlântico, Tejo, Lisboa, Alentejano, Península de Setúbal, Algarve, Terras Madeirenses, and Açores. The lower, or less stringent, tier of quality wines in Portugal is the Indicação Geogràfica (IG), or wines with “geographical indication”. (Below DOP)
If produced as vintage-dated DOP or IGP, Portuguese table wines may be labeled as what
garrafeira (“private wine cellar”), indicating a minimum period of aging prior to release
What are the aging requirements for Garrafeira wines
Tinto (red) garrafeira wines must age for a minimum 30 months, including at least 12 months in bottle. Branco (white) and rosado garrafeira wines must age for a minimum 12 months with at least 6 in bottle
Casta
Grape variety
The most widely grown red casta (“grape variety”)
Castelão, an adaptable varietal producing typically full-bodied, tannic wines with meaty, red-fruit aromas
Touriga Nacional .
Portugal’s finest red casta. Cherished for Port blends, accounts for approximately 10% of the nation’s vineyard acreage, and yields inky, full-bodied, structured wines. The low-yielding vine produces extremely small berries, valued for their extraction potential and concentration in the red table blends of Dão, Douro, and Alentejo. The country’s premium red table wines often contain a percentage of Touriga Nacional, lavishly treated to new French oak in the manner of Bordeaux.
Synonyms for Touriga Nacional
Bical Tinto and Mortágua Preto.
Alfrocheiro, Trincadeira (Tinta Amarela), Baga, and Aragonez (Tinta Roriz, known as Tempranillo in Spain)
Other widely planted and popular varietals in Portugal
Fernao Pires (Maria Gomes in Bairrada)
Most planted white casta in the country. The early-ripening, aromatic grape is found throughout Portugal, but it is concentrated in Bairrada and the southern plains of Tejo. It is a workhorse, producing fairly simple, honeyed wines that are often prone to oxidation and low acidity
Encruzado
Produces noble wines in the Dão, an elegant, balanced white grape yielding floral and citrusy wines that gain complex nutty, resinous aromas with age.
Arinto
One of oldest indigenous varietals, produces lively, mineral-tinged whites and is grown throughout the country, although its most striking examples issue from Bucelas
Sercial vs. Cercial
Sercial is a highly acidic grape prized for dry Madeira and known as Esgana Cão—the “dog strangler”—on the mainland. It is often confused with its homophone Cercial, which is used in Dão, Douro and Bairrada blends, but the two white grapes are genetically distinct.
enforcado
Vines in Minho/Vinho Verde trained high off the ground Vines would grow up the trunks of trees, telephone poles, and stakes, creating an overhead canopy. The probability of fungal disease in the wet climate is thus lessened, and other crops are grown beneath the grapes in the densely farmed region, displaced by more modern trellising systems, and fewer than 10% of vines are today trained in this fashion
Vinho Verde
“green wine,” a reference to the wines’ youthful freshness and the verdant countryside—is the largest DOP in Portugal and represents 15% of the nation’s total vineyard acreage, producing red, white, and rosado wines from an assortment of grapes. The region’s nearly 60,000 hectares of vines stretch northward from the city of Oporto to the Spanish border (the Minho River), and share lush landscape features and some grape varietals with Rías Baixas, Vinho Verde’s neighbor to the north.
Loureiro
most heavily planted white grape in Vinho Verde and the primary component of traditional Vinho Verde blends
White grapes of Vinho Verde/Minho
Trajadura (Treixadura), Avesso, Pedernã (Arinto), and the Spanish Albariño
Alvarinho
Known as Albarino in Spain, the grape is chiefly bottled as a varietal wine near the northern town of Monção, situated directly across the Minho River from Rías Baixas’ Condado do Tea region. Monção e Melgaço Alvarinho remains a bright spot for quality in a region driven by high yields and mass production
Wines of Vinho Verde/Minho
The light, floral white wines of the region are more common in both Europe and the US and are marked by lively acidity and low alcohol levels, and are slightly sparkling—a result, generally, of carbon dioxide injection prior to bottling. The red wines, also pétillant, gain their sparkle from malolactic fermentation in the bottle, a process usually avoided for white wines. The wines, whether white or red, are at their best in the year after release
Transmontano IGP
East of Minho along the Spanish border to the north of Duriense. Within the region are three non-contiguous subregions of the Trás-os-Montes DOP: Chaves, Valpaços, and Planalto Mirandés. The region is dry, hot, and mountainous, and the resulting wines are typically ripe and full-bodied, although the cooler, higher-altitude vineyards can preserve acidity
True or False: Douro and Porto were once included in the Transmontano IGP, prior to the creation of the Duriense IGP
True
Grapes of Transmontano IGP
Red: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Bastardo (Trousseau), Touriga Francesa and Trincadeira.
White: Fernão Pires, Síria, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and Rabigato
Where is the Duriense IGP and what DOPs does it include
The Duriense IGP is a slender region that encompasses the eastern, mountainous Douro River Valley south of Transmontano. It includes the DOPs of Douro and Porto.
True or False: The Douro is Portugal’s first demarcated wine region—one of the first such appellations recognized in Europe—and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
True. The river and its tributaries carve deep valleys through the granite Marão and Montemuro Mountains, and vineyards run from the riverside up the terraced, precipitous slopes.
Preferred soil type for Port
Schist
Climate of Douro Valley
continental climate of severely hot summers and cold winters, when temperatures often dip below freezing. The region’s craggy mountains act as barriers to the humid Atlantic winds, and the Douro becomes progressively drier toward the Spanish border
Subzones in Douro
Baixo Corgo to the west has the highest density of plantings, Cima Corgo has the highest total vineyard acreage, and Douro Superior, which stretches to the Spanish border, is the largest, most arid, and most sparsely planted region in Douro.
Douro vs Porto DOP
Table wines and the occasional licoroso (fortified) Moscatel do Douro are produced as Douro DOP; fortified Port from the Douro region is released as Porto DOP. Approximately 50% of the region’s wine is released as Porto. Douro table wines may be red, white or rosado
What year was the Madeira archipelago discovered
1419
What year was Port discovered
1678, by two Englishmen in Lamego, a town in the Douro valley
Mutage
arresting the fermentation of his wines with brandy while sugar was still present
Treaty of Methuen
1703 England and Portugal, establishing a long-lasting trade agreement between the two nations and preferential tariffs for Portuguese wines
True or False: By the mid-18th century, Portuguese wine accounted for nearly two-thirds of all imported wine in England
True
What year was the first Port house founded
Christiano Kopke, a German, founded the house of Kopke in 1638, four decades before the first recorded shipment of Porto to England
Estufagem process
Modern take on heating madeira, done in stainless steel tanks and wines held at heat for 3 months
Quinta
small estate
Aging Requirements for Douro
Reserva wines must achieve a minimum alcohol of 11.5% or 12% for white and rosado wines or red wines, respectively, instead of the standard minimum 10.5% (white/rosado) or 11% (red) for the appellation.
White reserva wines must be aged for six months; red reserva wines must be aged for one year. The IVDP must certify all Douro wines; those that meet reserva criteria and score exceptionally well in blind tasting analysis may use the term grande reserva. Espumanto do Douro (sparkling wines) and Colheita Tardia (late harvest wines) may be produced as Douro DOP.
Red grapes of Douro
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão, and Tinta Barroca. These grapes are equally suited to Port production, although clonal choices and preferred mesoclimates may differ for table wines.
White grapes of Douro
Malvasia Fina, Viosinho, Rabigato, and Gouveio. Both white and red wines may be simple, fruity and fresh, or subject to new oak treatment and higher degrees of sophistication and polish in the winery
Dao DOP lies in which IGP
Terras do Dão IGP (Minho NW, Douro NE, Beiras E and SE)
What is the signature grape of Dao
Touriga Nacional is a signature component of Dão blends; the wines are typically more elegant, sharper, and more floral than their counterparts in the Douro.
Climate and geography of Dao
Sheltered by three mountain ranges, partially protected from the harsh winds of the continental interior, yet insulated from the wet, cool maritime weather systems coming in from the coast. Hot and dry in the growing season, but receives adequate rainfall in the cold winter months. Altitude helps to preserve acidity, and the best vineyards are often located between 400 and 500 meters above sea level, where the preferred granitic soils are in abundance. The Dão is not densely planted: approximately 5% of the total region is utilized for viticulture
Subregions of the Dao DOP
Serra da Estrela (named for Portugal’s highest mountain range), Alva, Besteiros, Castendo, Silgueiros, Terras de Azurara, and Terras de Senhorim. Mainly Red wines.
Main Red grapes of Dao
Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Touriga Franca, Alfrocheiro, Aragonez, Bastardo, Rufete, Trincadeira, and Tinta Cão
Main white grapes of Dao
Encruzado, Bical, and Cercial
Garrafeira
With additional aging and an extra half-degree of minimum alcohol, nobre wines may also labeled as reserva or garrafeira.
Aging requirements for Dao wines
Reserva-Reds two years of aging, whites must be aged for only six months to qualify.
Nobre- Red minimum 15% Touriga Nacional and a maximum 85% of Jaen, Rufete, Alfrocheiro, and Aragonez. Minimum three years aging prior to release and contain a minimum 12% alcohol.
White nobre minimum 15% Encruzado and a maximum 85% of Cercial, Bical, Malvasia Fina, and Verdelho. One year of aging prior to release and must contain a minimum 11.5% alcohol.
Nobre reserva- reds are aged for 42 months
-whites are aged for one year.
Nobre garrafeira- Reds require 48 months aging, including 18 months in the bottle
-White nobre garrafeira wines require 18 months total aging, with nine in the bottle.
Main red grape of Bairrada DOP
Baga`, thrives in Barros (clay soils)
What are the nine DOPs of Lisboa IGP
Bucelas, Colares, Carcavelos, Arruda, Torres Vedras, Alenquer, Óbidos, Lourinhã, and Encostas de Aire
Colares DOP
Vines traditionally planted in trenches, sandy soils prevented spread of phylloxera. Ramisco and Malvasia make up a minimum 80% of Colares’ red and white wines, respectively. A second, harder soil type, chao rija, is located further inland in the Colares DOP, and Castelão is more frequently planted there
Vinho abafado
partially fermented must preserved with alcohol
What DOPS are in Peninsula de Setubal IGP
Setubal and Palmela
Main grapes of Palmela DOP
Castelão, the region’s premier grape and dominant component of Palmela reds—a minimum 66.7% is stipulated.
Whites Fernão Pires and Arinto.
The DOP’s rather liberal encépagement includes a number of international varietals for both red and white wine production
Torna Viagem
Process by which Madeira and Setubal heated in its transatlantic crossing “vinho da roda”
Vinho Canteiro
Madeira and Setubal made in lodges, slower heating process
Setubal DOP
One of first regions demarcated (1907).
Sweet white and red fortified wines are produced, from a minimum 67% Moscatel de Setúbal (Muscat d’Alexandria) or Moscatel Roxo, respectively. Labeled by varietal if either grape comprises a minimum 85% of the blend. Develop a tawny, burnt orange color and raisin spice character while maturing in large wooden casks for up to five years prior to release.J.M. da Fonseca is the appellation’s largest and most storied producer
Pico DOP
Makes fortified wines, on Azores
Lagos, Lagoa, Portimão, and Tavira
DOPs zones of Algarve, the southernmost region of Portugal
Madeira DOP
Styles: Vinho Licoroso (fortified) Permitted Varieties (Castas): Tinto: Bastardo, Malvasia Cândida Roxa (Malvasia Roxa), Tinta (Tinta da Madeira),Tinta Negra (Tinta Negra Mole), Verdelho Tinto Branco: Terrantez, Malvasia Fina (Boal), Malvasia Cândida (Malvasia di Lipari), Sercial, Verdelho
Principal Soils:
Madeira volcanic soils: Saibro (decomposed red tufa), Cascalho (stony soil), Pedra molle (an arenaceous soil, of decomposed yellow tufa), and Massapes (clay resulting from the decomposition of dark tufa)
Porto Santo: volcanic and limestone
Madeira aging requirements
Madeira may not be sold until October 31 of the second year after the harvest.
Frasqueira: 20 years in wood
Solera: Min. 5 years in the solera (only 10% may be drawn off each year)
Vinho de Canteiro
2 years in wood, and may not be bottled for 36 months after the final fortification
Vinho de Estufagem
May be bottled after 12 months from the conclusion of the estufagem process
Colheita
May be bottled Oct 31st of the 5th year following the harvest
What is the most planted red grape in DoTejo
Castalao
Where is Alta Estremadura
Lisboa
What is the minimum combined percentage of Castelão and Preto Martinho required for Carcavelos DOP wines
75%
What subregion of the Douro has the highest vineyard acreage
Cima Corgo
What DOP of the Açores islands authorizes the production of table wines rather than fortified wines
Graciosa
What is the northernmost subregion of Alentejo
Portalegre
Quercus suber
Scientific name for cork trees
Tinta Amarela
Trincadeiro
Tinta Roriz
Aragonez
Sercial
Esgana Cao
Fernão Pires
Maria Gomes
Arinto
Pederna
Touriga Nacional
Mortagua Preto
What were the universally declared vintages for Port
70,77, 80, 82, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 94, 97
Minho Transmontano Duriense Terras de Cister Beira Atlântico Terras do Dão Terras da Beira Lisboa Tejo Península de Setúbal Alentejo Algarve
Portugal regions arranged north to south
Port aging requirements
Vintage: Wines must be bottled by July 30 of the third year after harvest. Wines may be sold from May 1 of the second year after harvest.
Late-Bottled-Vintage (LBV): Wines are aged in cask for at least four years and bottled before December 31 of the sixth year after harvest. LBV wines additionally aged for 3 years in bottle may carry the designation “Envelhicido em garrafa,” or bottle-matured.
Colheita: Tawny wines from a single vintage aged in cask for a minimum of 7 years.
10/20/30/+40 Years Old: Wines that are 10-30 years old may be labeled “Velho”; wines that are over 40 years old may be labeled “Muito Velho” (very old).
Crusted: This term indicates that the wine has been matured and has left sediment in the bottle.
Reserva/Reserve: This term implies greater quality when used for “Ruby” Port but it does not carry any minimum aging requirement. If accompanied by the term “Tawny” the wine must have been cask-aged for at least 7 years.
Grapes for Port
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) Tinta Cão, and Tinta Barroca.
