Portugal Flashcards
Portuguese Ageing Terms
Reserva - wine from single vintage. Tasted by panel and must have more than min also set for the particular DOC
Garrafeira - applies to all wines, not just doc. Must meet reserva criteria plus 2 years barrel age and 1 yr bottle age for red, 6mo barrel 6mo bottle for white.
Portugal
Small country that produces remarkable diversity of wines. 200 indigenous vines. 11th largest producer of wine globally. Portugal is roughly 600km long 200km wide (rectangular in shape). Flat lying coastal wines influenced by Atlantic winds. High rainfall in mountainous regions (2000 mm) but less than 500mm inland wine areas. Vast difference.
Maritime climate with warm summer and wet winters gets more extreme to the south and east. Vast temp swings inland 35c summers, 18c winters, where mountains area can get to 10c in winter.
Huge vAriation of wine because of climactic differences I.e vinho verde vs port. Vineyards are planted in all areas of the country.
Long trading ties with Americas and Britain.
Eu in 1986
Due to declining interest in port and Madeira, producers have turned their attention to table wine production. History of geographical and political unrest has historically out their wine industry behind much of Europe but wine makers are changing this. No longer rustic and oxidative. Portugals new wines are modern in style and incredibly unique. Technological advancements in winery along with clinal selection and vineyard improvements have helped to change the perspective.
Portuguese vine varieties
Portugals vineyards have evolved in isolation meaning most of the grapes are local and indigenous.
Whites: Louriero (vinho verde) Albarinho (vinho verde) Bical (bairrada) Encruzado (dao) Arinto (s. Portugal)
Reds: Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz Touriga Franca Tinta Cao Baga (Barriada) Castelao Trincadiera Internationals
IPR
Indicacao de proveniencia regulamentada
2nd tier designation in Portugal. Below DOC status - once region has regulatory
Body it can be a candidate for doc. Specified grape varieties, min alcohol and max yeilds are set
Vinho regional
3rd tier in Portugal. Equv to VdP.
Minho, tras-os-montes, bieras, ribatejo, alentejo, tears do sado, algarve.
Permit greater
Flexibility than IPR and doc in terms of grapes and age requirements. Very popular with innovative wine makers wishing to bottle young wines or local and internTional blends. In south; regions such as alentejo are vastly ignoring doc and IPR in favor or vinho regional.
DOC/DOP
Denominacao de Origem controlada. Quality Portuguese wine by European law. Appellation was re-structured in 1986 with eu entrance. Roughly inline with French standards.
Bucelas, carcavelos, colares, dao, Madeira, setubal, vinho verde, bairrada, Douro.
Sets permitted varietals, max yields, min alc, Ageing and style standards, samples must be submitted to controlling body in region. Seals of origin given to wines that pass the taste test.
Can be seen as a bureaucrats dream and a winemakers nightmare.
DOP is synonymous - term brought in to meet eu standards.
Portuguese Wine Laws
Similar to other EU countries
Vinho de Mesa - table wine.
Vinho Regional - VdP equivalent
IPR
Denominacao de Origem Controlada ( DoC) AOP equivalent
Mateus
Mateus rose produced in n Portugal north of Douro valley.
Med sweet sparkling rose that has
Become one of the worlds most famous wine brands. Created in 1942 by vinho verde wine producer. The lightly sparkling rose was sweetened to appeal to North American and Northern European palates. Grew steadily through 50 and 60s, by 80s it, along with white version, represented 40% of portugals export wine. Still owned by Guedes family under SoGrape portfolio. Declining sales.
Vinhos de Mesa
Lancers
Brand of med sweet lightly sparking rose in Portugal. Owned by fonseca. Direct rival of SoGrapes Mateus. Better known in us as after ww11, vets came home with a taste for wine, and lancers set up distribution to bank on trade. Made by Russian continuous method. Losing steam but still widely known in the USA. Vinhos de Mesa
DOC Areas of northern Portugal
Vinho verde
Douro
Dao
DOC Areas of central Portugal
Bairrada
Ribatejo
DOC Areas of southern Portugal
Palmela
Alentejo
Casta
Meaning “grape variety” in Portugal
Castelao
Most widely planted red grape in Portugal. Also known as Perquita - this name derrives from its prominence in Fonceca’s “Perquita” wine brand in Setubal Peninsula. Castelao grape was brought in for use in the brand - and the moniker stuck locally.
Thrives in sandy soils but has ability to adapt to a variety of climates. Produces fruity, fleshy, gamey reds which can be drunk young or aged. Often blended with negra mole.
Known as Trincaderia in Dao and Santarem in Douro.
Vinho Verde DOP
Located in NW corner of Portugal. Cool rainy Atlantic influenced maritime climate. Warm in summer with rains, rot a problem. Largest region.
Granite, bedrock and sand.
Traditional training high off ground in Enforcado system to avoid fungus and Rot. Poles, tree trunks and stakes would be used and plants and flowers planted below. Now modern trellising, wire trained, high trained cordon systems widely used.
Largest region and represents 15% of Country’s total vineyard acreage. 60,000 hectares. Red white and rose produced, 50% red but white is the most
Popular and we’ll known export. Reds mainly for local consumption. white from Loureiro and Alvarinho grapes. Louriero is principle grape in vinho verde whites, blended with arinto trajadura. bright dry high acid with light spritz and low alcohol levels. Spritz is obtained by co2 injection (traditionally
From Malo like in reds). Reds from Vinhao (teinturier) also can be slightly spritzed, gained from Malo in barrel. Whites avoid Malo.
Alvarinho style is best of region. MAinly from single quintals. Mainly
Produced across from condado do tea in Spain. Wines have higher Abv permitted (less than 11.5 for VV whites), are vArietally labelled and no CO2 injection.
